ED Attaches Journalist Upendra Rai’s Properties Worth ₹2.18 Crore in Money Laundering Case

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th Feb. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Monday that it has attached flats in Noida and fixed and bank deposits totaling ₹2.18 crore in connection with a 2018 money-laundering case involving journalist Upendra Rai and others.

Upendra Rai, the CMD and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Express, a Hindi news channel, refuted the allegations, expressing shock and concern over the ED’s press release. He asserted that he has challenged the prosecutions by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED, expressing confidence in the legal process to find no merits in the allegations.

The provisional order issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) pertains to the attachment of flats owned by Upendra Rai in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, along with fixed deposits (FDs) and savings account balances.

According to the ED, the money laundering case against Rai arises from two CBI FIRs, alleging extortion of money from various individuals/entities by threatening action from investigative agencies. The agency claims that the total extorted amount, considered proceeds of crime, is approximately ₹52.55 crore.

Upendra Rai emphasized that the properties attached do not belong to him or his family members, challenging the validity of the attachments and prosecutions by the ED. He accused the agency of conducting a media trial to prejudice his case.

Rai was initially arrested by the CBI in May 2018, followed by arrest by the ED. He was later granted bail. In 2018, the ED had attached assets worth ₹26.65 crore in the case and filed two charge sheets. The current attachment brings the total value of assets under scrutiny to ₹2.18 crore, as per the agency’s statement.