In the recent raids after the demonetisation, the CCS has frozen 13 bank accounts of bullions merchants and jewellers, including that of the firms owned by Nitin Gupta of Musaddilal Jewellers because teams detected unspecified instances of gold being purchased and money transferred into these accounts.
The officials of the CCS said that the accounts of Ashthalakshmi Gold, SK Impex, Sri Balaji and Caps Gold were among those frozen, wherein money pertaining to Rs 100 crore gold sales had been deposited after the demonetisation.
Through the investigations, the CSS found that Mr Gupta had appointed accountant S. Mallesh as director of Musaddilal Gems and Jewellers Private Limited. A Tax official said that we are verifying whether the appointment was done on 1st October 2016, as claimed by Mr Gupta, or after demonetisation.
Each of the customers numbering about 5,400, all of them suspected to be fictitious, had purchased Rs 1.89 lakh worth of gold. CCS would seek the help of the I-T department to retrieve the CCTV images for tests at the Central Forensic Science Labo-ratory here regarding the deposits made at the banks as well as of customers visiting the shop.
Surender Jain who is the owner of SK Impex, said that they had purchased gold from STC, MMTC, and Indus-Ind Bank and sold to Mr Gupta’s Musaddilal Jewellers. He had transferred the money through RTGS. My account has been frozen. When I asked my bank, they said the central bank had given instructions. Caps Gold director and Ms Nisha Gupta would not comment.
