Who is Kriti Verma, tax officer-turned-actor accused in Rs 263 crore money laundering case?

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is looking into a case involving the money laundering of Rs 263 crore involving a former tax officer who is now an actress. Kriti Verma, who appeared on Roadies and Season 12 of Bigg Boss, has been charged with receiving laundered money and other criminal proceeds.

She also allegedly has connections to the main suspect in a scheme to obtain a false tax refund from the Income Tax department. ED officials have called Verma for questioning regarding the case numerous times.

Who is Kriti Verma?

The 29-year-old actress was born on September 4th, 1994,  and was raised in Delhi. Prior to her career in the television industry, Kriti Verma worked as a GST inspector for the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. She appeared in a number of shows, such as the Indian television series "Tere Bina Jiya Jaye Na," Bigg Boss 12, and Roadies Xtreme.

After purchasing a property in Gurugram, Haryana, with illegal transactions in 2021, Kriti Verma reportedly sold it and received the funds in her bank accounts. The entire sale proceeds of Rs. 1.18 crore were discovered in her accounts and were quickly frozen after search operations were carried out.

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Rs 263 crore money laundering case

The deceitful granting of tax refunds was the subject of a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against senior tax personnel with the I-T department Tanaji Mandal Adhikari, businessman from Panvel Bhushan Anant Patil, and some others last year. Based on FIR that the CBI in Delhi filed in response to a complaint about the release of fictitious refunds for the assessment years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, the ED launched its PMLA inquiry.

Adhikari, the main suspect, had direct exposure to RSA Tokens and the login information of his regulatory authority and officers while operating as a senior tax assistant with the I-T department. He managed the theft with the help of other people.

The money was subsequently transferred to a number of bank accounts, one of which was connected to Bhushan Anant Patil. Under the IT Act of 2000, the CBI lodged a case file against Adhikari, Patil, Rajesh Shantaram Shetty, and others.

In January, the ED attached property worth Rs 69 crore, including land, apartments, and expensive cars. The aforementioned defendants, Bhushan Anant Patil, Rajesh Shetty, and Sarika Shetty, along with Verma, are the names under which the attached property was purchased.

(With inputs from IANS)