Mumbai: A tax consultant from Malad, Anirudh Gandhi, held the key to money laundering for Income-Tax (IT) officer Tanaji Adhikari, a former senior tax assistant. Gandhi allegedly helped Adhikari convert Rs 55 crore lying in a bank account into cash, which was laundered by the accused. Gandhi has been added as an accused in the supplementary prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the Rs 263 crore TDS refund scam.
It is claimed that Gandhi had proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 55.50 crore in three firms – AG Enterprises, Universal Marketing and Advisory Services LLP, and Dwalax Enterprises Pvt Ltd – from the bank account of Bhushan Patil, one of Adhikari’s accused associates. Gandhi later converted the proceeds into cash of Rs 54.11 crore, after deducting his commission, with the help of local angadias. This cash was handed over to Adhikari’s associates.
In his statement to the ED, Gandhi claimed that “first amount of Rs 2 lakh was received in the bank account of AG Enterprises”. Gandhi later contacted agents who could arrange cash against RTGS (bank entry) in the diamond market at Daftary Road, Malad East.
He further transferred the funds into the bank accounts of shell companies as per direction of the said agents and collected cash from angadias. As per his statement, he handed over a cash amount of Rs 1.95 crore (after deducting Rs 5 lakh i.e.2.5% from Rs 2 crore) in two bags. These bags were later delivered to Rajesh Batra, who is said to have played a key role in diverting and siphoning the proceeds of crime for Adhikari
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