New Delhi— The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has filed a chargesheet against Reliance Power Ltd and 10 individuals and entities in connection with an alleged ₹68-crore fake bank guarantee submitted to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to secure a renewable energy tender.
The agency filed a supplementary prosecution complaint against Partha Sarathi Biswal, Biswal Tradelink Pvt. Ltd., Biothane Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Amar Nath Dutta, Ravinder Pal Singh Chadha, Reliance NU BESS Ltd, Rosa Power Supply Company Ltd, Manoj Bhaiyasaheb Pongde, Reliance Power Ltd, Ashok Kumar Pal, and Punit Narendra Garg.
Just before filing the complaint, the ED attached ₹5.15 crore in alleged proceeds of crime.
According to the ED, officials of the Reliance Group “were well aware” that a fake bank guarantee and fraudulent endorsements were submitted to SECI from a spoofed State Bank of India email account. After SECI detected the irregularity, Reliance Group allegedly arranged a genuine guarantee from IDBI Bank within a day, but SECI rejected it because it was submitted past the deadline.
The investigation stems from FIRs filed by the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing — one based on a SECI complaint against Reliance NU BESS Ltd, and another filed by Reliance NU BESS Ltd against Biswal Tradelink and its managing director.
The agency said its probe has established the “connivance and mala fide intentions” of Reliance Group entities in submitting fake guarantees purportedly issued by foreign banks with forged SBI endorsements to secure the tender.
The chargesheet comes a day after the ED said it had attached ₹10,117 crore worth of properties belonging to Anil Ambani–led Reliance Group companies across various investigations. In its latest action, the agency provisionally attached assets valued at ₹1,120 crore in connection with the Reliance Home Finance Ltd/Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd/Yes Bank fraud case, including 18 properties, fixed deposits, bank balances, and unquoted shareholdings.
Reliance Infrastructure Ltd and Reliance Power Ltd have said in separate statements that they continue normal operations and remain committed to “growth, operational excellence, and sustainable value creation” for stakeholders. (Source: IANS)
