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Enforcement Directorate to seek court intervention in Sahithi Infra scam investigation

The main accused in the Sahithi Infra scam, B Lakshminarayana, and his family members have been evading questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to sources, the accused have managed to avoid ED officials on three occasions by not being present at their given addresses.

In response, the ED has decided to file a petition in court, seeking a directive to compel the accused to cooperate with the investigation. The accused are believed to have defrauded homebuyers of hundreds of crores of rupees by falsely promoting the pre-launch of high-rise apartments. The police have registered 46 FIRs related to the scam, alleging that the infrastructure company duped 2,500 customers, including 1,700 flat buyers in Sahithi's Sarvani Elite venture in Ameenpur, for a total of 900 crore rupees, with 539 crore rupees specifically from flat buyers.

Sources within the ED have emphasized the importance of questioning the accused's family members in order to investigate the potential money laundering aspect of the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Recently, ED officials conducted searches at the properties of Purna Rao, director of Sahithi Constructions, as part of their probe into the money laundering angle. The ED's investigation is based on an FIR filed by the central crime station of the Hyderabad police, and Lakshminarayana was arrested in December of the previous year in connection with the fraud.

The ED has also instructed the sub-registrar of Sangareddy district not to transfer or register any properties in the name of Sahithi, as they may be subject to attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

It has been alleged that the real estate company deliberately delayed land acquisition, permissions, and the physical execution of the project. Furthermore, the refund process for affected buyers has been delayed and remains unresolved.

The company initially advertised a pre-launch offer for a residential gated community consisting of 32 floors and 10 towers, offering various amenities on a 20-acre plot in Ameenpur village, Sangareddy. However, the company continuously postponed the execution of the project and failed to provide refunds. Many flat buyers have faced difficulties, including bounced cheques or the drawer stopping payment.The CCS (central crime station) investigators have identified an additional 20 individuals, including Lakshminarayana's wife, Parvathi, and son, Sathvik, for their alleged involvement in this multi-crore fraud.

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