New Delhi: The hearing on the settlement petition filed by accused Sukesh Chandrashekhar in the Rs 200 crore fraud and extortion case was postponed again on Thursday at the Patiala House Court. The court directed Sukesh’s lawyer to provide a copy of the petition to the complainant, Aditi Singh, after her counsel informed the court that they had not yet received it.
The next hearing has been scheduled for January 16. In his petition, Sukesh Chandrashekhar expressed willingness to pay Rs 217 crore and is open to exploring a settlement with Aditi Singh.
The complaint was lodged by Aditi Singh, wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh, who has been in jail since October 2019. She alleged that between June 2020 and 2021, a fraud and extortion of Rs 200 crore was committed against her husband.
According to the complaint, during 2020 and 2021, Sukesh Chandrashekhar used his network to carry out large-scale fraud and extortion. He purportedly impersonated officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Law to deceive victims. Using fake identities, he convinced people that the government was assisting them, demanding hefty sums in return.
The complaint details that initial calls claimed that Anoop Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Law, would contact them. Later calls suggested that the government sought cooperation during the COVID-19 period and would help in securing Shivinder Singh’s release.
In one call, it was falsely claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah was present at the scene, and subsequently, the caller ID displayed the name of PMO advisor P.K. Mishra, which increased the victims’ trust. This led Aditi Singh and others to believe that high-level government officials were involved.
Delhi Police registered a case against Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his associates for fraud and extortion amounting to Rs 200 crore. It is alleged that Sukesh concealed illegal funds through hawala transactions and shell companies. Additionally, actions under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) are underway against him.
Sukesh is also under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Authorities continue to examine his network, money trails, and use of fake identities in this case.
– Daily Kiran