Five more cases under Benami Act lodged against Bhajiawala

Surat/Ahemdabad: Close on heels of the attaching of Rs one crore cash in new currency found during the IT raid on the bank lockers of Surat based controversial self styled financier Kishor Bhajiawala and his sons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), five more cases have reportedly been lodged against them under Benami Act.

An official of the Income Tax department today confirmed that five more cases in connection with the recoveries during the raids conducted in December last year have been lodged.

‘A nodal officer of the IT department in Ahmedabad will monitor these cases,’ he said without divulging more about the cases.

Bhajiawala, who was once a road-side tea and snacks vendor here had hogged the lime-light after recovery of huge cash and other valuable worth crores during the raids conducted in December last year.

On February 23 the ED had attached one crore rupees under PMLA of Bhajiawala which was recovered during the IT raids post demonetization currency frauds.

Earlier on January 20 the ED had arrested Jignesh Bhajiawala, one of the two sons Kishor under PML Act for illegally converting old demonetized currency to new one.

Based on an FIR lodged by the CBI earlier against Bhajiyawala and his two sons,(second son Vilas) who were found to be in possession of Rs 1.05 crore in new notes, ED has lodged a case of money laundering against them on December 28,” the official said.

On December 24, the CBI had registered an FIR against the trio and a bank manager in connection with Rs 1.05 crore in new currency notes recovered from his premises during searches conducted by Income Tax department.

The IT department had recovered cash, valuables and documents of property worth crores from the premises of Bhajiawala in Udhana area here and his bank lockers. Gold jewelry worth around Rs 5 crore and silver worth over 1.20 crore with other ornament and bullion worth around Rs 3 crore was also found during the raids.

Bhajiawala, who used to sale bhajia (a kind of Gujarati snacks) and tea on the road-side on a lorry earlier on, shot to limelight after the raids.

DeshGujarat