Delhi Police's Crime Branch has registered four cases in connection with seizure of black money, amounting to over Rs 17 crore, during recent raids in different parts of the city hoping to unravel deeper organised rackets operating in exchange of old currency.
Four separate cases of cheating and criminal conspiracy have been registered against people who were found with the seized currency, said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (Crime).
Even though the crime branch was conducting the raids, the cases have been transferred to the Income Tax department, however, it was felt that these seizures need to be investigated further, said another senior police officer.
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"We deliberated about registering cases. It was felt that until and unless, police officials carry out detailed investigation and interrogate persons associated with the black money, we won't be able to unravel the wider criminal conspiracy that could be at play," police said.
On November 24, police had apprehended two men from outside Hazrat Nizammuddin railway station who were allegedly carrying Rs 27 lakh in new currency notes which they had received after exchanging old demonetised notes from some agents in Mumbai.
During joint interrogation conducted by police, IT department officials and intelligence officials, they revealed that they were carrying money that belongs to one Sanjay Malik, who has a pharmaceutical company in Baddi.
It had emerged during investigation that Malik had got his money changed from Mumbai and was taking commission from acquaintances for getting their old notes exchanged and had brought Rs 1.5 crore of new currency from Mumbai.
Malik and the two persons, Ajit Pal Singh and Rajender Singh, who were in possession of the money, have been named in the FIR.
In a raid conducted on December 10, Rs 13.5 crore were seized from a law firm's office in southeast Delhi's GK-I area, of which Rs 2.6 crore was in new currency released after demonetisation.
The raid was carried out at the office of T&T law firm owned by Rohit Tandon, against whom the FIR has been registered.
In two raids conducted on December 13, police had seized over Rs 3.80 crore.
Delhi Police had raided a hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area on December 13 and recovered Rs 3.25 crore in demonetised notes from five men who were allegedly involved in collecting black money from various hawala operators in the national capital and delivering it in Mumbai for conversion to white.
Five men -- Ansari Abuzar, Fazal Khan, Ansari Affan, Ladu Ram and Mahaveer Singh -- had hoarded a pile of cash illegally through hawala and were planning to carry it to Mumbai. They have been named in the FIR.
In another raid on December 13 at the villa of a real estate agent Sukhbir Shokeen in Chhawla area, police had recovered unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 64,84,000 in old and new currency and jewellery worth over Rs 1 crore.
Unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 64,84,000 was found. Out of it, Rs 11,34,000 was in the form of Rs 2000 notes. Besides, jewellery valued at Rs 1,06,57,235 had been found at Shokeen's villa against whom the FIR has been lodged.
Police has begun investigations and the accused will be questioned to know more details.
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