₹600-cr Anee Bullion Industry scam: IFS officer fails to appear before ED

ED had lodged a money laundering case against the ABI in 2019 on the basis of 30 FIRs and complaints registered by the UP Police against owner Ajit Kumar Gupta

LUCKNOW Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Niharika Singh did not turn up at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in the state capital on Monday in connection with her alleged role in the ₹600-crore Anee Bullion Industry (ABI) scam. This was the fourth summon the ED issued to the officer in the ongoing investigation into the scam.

Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Niharika Singh is the wife of ABI owner Ajit Kumar Gupta. (Pic for representation)

Niharika is the wife of ABI owner Ajit Kumar Gupta and currently posted in Indonesia. The ED had lodged a money laundering case against the ABI in 2019 on the basis of 30 FIRs and complaints registered by the UP Police against Gupta.

ED officials said they will wait for the IFS officer till Tuesday and take further action, if she fails to appear before the agency. Earlier, three summons were issued to the IFS officer of the 2006 batch but she failed to turn up.

The UP STF, along with the Lucknow Police, had arrested Gupta on July 16, 2020. During investigations, Niharika Singh’s role came to light. In 2021, the ED added the IFS officer’s name in the case lodged under PMLA Act.

Sources said that during the probe against Gupta, some dealings and transfer of money involving his wife came under scanner and now it needed to be verified by her.

Niharika Singh has served as deputy chief of southern Africa division, in Tokyo and East Asian countries.

Explaining the modus operandi, ED sources said the company first floated ponzi schemes in various districts of Uttar Pradesh through companies like Anee Bullion Traders, Anee Commodity Brokers Private limited, Eye Vision India Credit Co-operative Society Limited, Anee Bullion Industries among others.

It lured people to invest in the company, promising hefty returns in the form of plots. The company even issued post-dated cheques to convince investors, said ED sources.