The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday recorded the statement of Religare Enterprises’ former finance chief Nitin Aggarwal in connection with a money-laundering probe, people in the know told ET.
Aggarwal was questioned on the employee stock option plan (Esop) of a subsidiary and the offer from the Burmans of Dabur to take over the financial services holding company, the people said.
The ED had last week lodged an enforcement complaint information report to investigate an alleged money-laundering offence. The ED’s case is based on an FIR registered with the Mumbai Police, where the central agency is the complainant.
Aggarwal was not immediately available for comment.
In a filing with stock exchanges on September 9, Religare Enterprises said the Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against three senior executives of the company on a complaint filed by the ED. The executives have denied the allegations and are examining the matter for appropriate action, it said. There are no allegations against the company in the matter, it said.
In the case filed with the Mumbai Police, the ED alleged cheating and criminal conspiracy against Religare Enterprises chairperson Rashmi Saluja, group general counsel Nishant Singhal and Aggarwal. It accused Saluja of getting a case registered against Dabur group chairman Mohit Burman and his family members “to derail” the proposed takeover of the company and its subsidiaries, and obfuscate the detection of illegal gains accrued to through acquisition of Care Health Insurance Esops.
The ED accused Saluja and others of making “unlawful gains” of ?179.54 crore by acquiring the Esops at a low price and by diverting Religare Enterprises funds to subscribe to Care Health Insurance’s rights issues.
In August, Saluja moved the Delhi High Court after the ED attached the Esops. The court is likely to hear the matter on September 23.
