ED raids properties of RP Infosystem owners

Enforcement-Directorate


The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers on Tuesday conducted raids at various companies in the city and other states linked to Kaustav Roy and Shivaji Panja, owners of RP Infosystems, who are alleged to have channelised an amount of Rs 515 crore reportedly siphoned off from a consortium of banks, and confiscated assets of worth Rs 100 crore.

According to Enforcement Directorate sources, the raid was conducted following questioning of the duo arrested in connection with the Rs 515 crore bank fraud.

The source also claimed that the Rs 515 crore allegedly siphoned off from the Canara Bank along with 17 other consortium of banks by the duo of RP Infosystems had been diverted to various companies not only in the city but others states as well.

An ED source on condition of anonymity said that the Tuesday’s raids were conducted at Ranchi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad as well and confiscated assets worth Rs 100 crore.

Earlier, ED officers had begun process to attach properties of RP Infosystems directors Ray and Panja, arrested in connection with Rs 515.15 crore bank fraud case.

While the CBI is probing the criminal conspiracy and money laundering case against the duo, ED is in pursuit of cracking the financial angle, for which it has set the ball rolling to attach their properties, which the central agency believes to be dozen in numbers.

A source close to the ED said that the central agency is zeroing in on properties worth Rs 70 crore belong to RP Infosystems which includes shops, land and corporate office spaces besides, the accounts of “RP Techvision” which the source claimed to have floated by the duo in 2004 to produce movies, TV serials and other entertainment programmes.

An ED officer said on condition of anonymity, “The agency is eyeing to attach properties to the tune of Rs 70 crore belong to RP Infosystems in different districts and outside the state to recover the syphoned off money.”