Rs 10 crore chit fund scam: PMLA court sends 2 accused Rakesh & Mukesh Poddar in judicial custody

New Delhi: The Hon’ble Special Court, PMLA, Ranchi has granted Judicial Custody to two accused namely Rakesh Kumar Poddar and Mukesh Kumar Poddar in a ponzy scheme case. The accused persons were avoiding their appearances before the Hon’ble Court wherein Prosecution Complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) was filed against them. The Court had issued Non-Bailable Warrants of arrest against the accused persons as they were not joining the proceedings initiated by the Hon’ble Court.

Relentless efforts resulted in successful execution of NBW by nabbing Rakesh Kumar Poddar from his office premise at Maldhiya, Varanasi and Mukesh Kumar Poddar from Muzzafarpur. Both of them were produced before the respective Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Varanasi and Muzzafarpur which granted transit remand. Subsequently, these accused persons were produced before the PMLA Special Court at Ranchi on 13.09.2020 which was pleased to put him under Judicial Custody till 16.09.2020.

ED had filed a Prosecution Complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) before the Hon’ble PMLA Special Court, Ranchi on 31.03.2020 against Gorakhnath Bhagat and Others. ED initiated investigations under PMLA on the basis of FIRs & Chargesheets filed by the Argora Police, Govt of Jharkhand, Ranchi against MSS & Healthcare Ayurvedic Trust and Others under sections 120B, 406, 420,467,468, and 471 of IPC.

That the accused Gorakhnath Bhagat, chairman of the Trust, was running a Ponzy scheme wherein he was collecting Rs. 3000/- from each individual on the pretext of returning four times of the said month within three months. For assurance he used to give four post-dated cheques of Rs. 2300 each and four coupons of Rs.700/- for Ayurvedic medicine and treatment at M.S.S & Health Care Ayurvedic Trust.

Investigation under PMLA revealed that Proceeds of Crime amounting to Rs 10 crores was siphoned off by the Trust. Accordingly, bank balances worth Rs 2.28 crores were attached which was has been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority under PMLA.