CBI files additional indictment in Pearl Ponzy scheme case against 27 defendants

New Delhi, January 5 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed an additional indictment against 27 defendants, including three private companies, in the Rouse Avenue court in Delhi, in connection with the Pearl ponzy scheme of 60,000 crore rupees.

The defendants have deceived investors across the country by illegally operating various investment programs without any legal approval with the intention of deceiving them.

The CBI had recently arrested eleven people in this connection from Chandigarh, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.

The official said the CBI had previously recorded a preliminary investigation into the Supreme Court’s instructions against the Pearl Group, which allegedly raised around Rs 60,000 crore from around Rs 5 crore from investors across the country by illegally mining different investment programs, without any legal provisions. approval, with the intention of deceiving them.

The accused had given a land guarantee to investors to attract them. People were told they would get 12.5% ​​interest if they invested. They were offered free accident insurance and a tax-free maturity of their investment. The defendants had also promised investors that the value of the land they were buying would multiply rapidly.

Later, based on the investigation, a case was filed against Ms PGF Limited, Ms PACL Limited, Nirmal Singh Bhangoo and other directors of these two flagship companies of the Pearls group.

During the investigation, Nirmal Singh Bhangoo, Sukhdev Singh, Subrata Bhattacharya and Gurmeet Singh were arrested in January 2016. Later in April 2016, the CBI filed its first indictment against them.

CBI had identified properties of Nirmal Singh Bhangoo worth Rs 1.85 lakh crore at the current market rate across the country. The accused had also invested in Australian companies.

Australian cricketer Brett Lee was a brand ambassador for the Pearl Group. The IPL Kings XI Punjab team was also co-sponsored by the Pearl group.

On Wednesday, the CBI filed another chargesheet in the case. The CBI has said it hopes the accused will be punished based on the evidence gathered by it.

The court accepted the indictment and set the next date on which the accused will be summoned after hearing.