ED custody of actor-producer Sachin Joshi extended

A special court in Mumbai on Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of actor-producer Sachin Joshi in a money laundering case till February 22.

The ED arrested Joshi, whose family is in the gutka manufacturing business and who had acted in Jackpot and few other films, on February 14 in connection with a case against city-based firm Omkar Realtors and Developers.

Joshi was produced before special judge for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases A A Nandgaonkar after his first remand ended. The Central agency sought his further custody, claiming he was not co-operating with the probe. It wanted to confront him with other accused and investigate the utilization of funds received from various companies of Omkar Group, it said.

Joshi had received around Rs 37 crore from various companies of Omkar Group, the ED claimed. This was claimed to be the money paid to him for his services, but documents such as invoices/debit notes did not add up, it alleged.

The agency had earlier said it wanted to probe the “diversion” of about Rs 87 crore, allegedly misappropriated from a slum rehabilitation scheme fund, from Omkar Group to Viking Group, a company linked to Joshi. “Loans availed from Yes Bank were diverted and accused

(Sachin Joshi) helped promoters of Omkar Group in diversion of at least Rs 87 crore,” the ED had claimed earlier.

Joshi, in his statement recorded by the ED, denied wrongdoing. The ED last month arrested Omkar Realtors and Developers chairman Kamal Kishore Gupta and its managing director Babulal Varma.

The case against them pertains to alleged irregularities in the execution of a Slum Rehabilitation Authority scheme. The duo and the company are also facing allegations of diversion of an over-Rs 400 crore loan from Yes Bank.