Hyderabad ED arrests Nowhera Shaik’s assistant in PMLA probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad has arrested Nazneen Ansari alias Abeeda, personal assistant to Heera Group chief Nowhera Shaik, in connection with a money laundering case.

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has arrested one Nazneen Ansari alias Abeeda in the case of Heera Group and others, involving defrauding investors.

The Central agency said in a release on Wednesday that she was arrested on Tuesday under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

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ED initiated an investigation based on multiple FIRs registered by Telangana Police and Andhra Pradesh Police against Nowhera Shaik, Heera Group of companies, and others for allegedly defrauding investors by collecting huge deposits through fraudulent investment schemes.

An investigation under the PMLA revealed that Nazneen Ansari was working as Nowhera Shaik’s personal assistant. She was actively involved in the ED’s possession of attached properties, the collection of rent from them, encouraging new victims to invest in Heera Group, and misguiding various authorities.

The probe further revealed that she was in possession of and using the attached properties, which constituted Proceeds of Crime, and was instrumental in facilitating the continued commercial exploitation of those properties.

According to ED, despite being fully aware of the ongoing investigation against Heera Group, she continued to participate and helped collect investments from various victims.

The material collected during the investigation revealed that Nazneen Ansari knowingly assisted and was actually involved in activities connected with the possession, use, concealment, projection, and generation of further Proceeds of Crime, thereby committing the offence of money laundering as defined under Section 3 of PMLA, 2002. She was in possession of several attached properties, which were auctioned by the ED in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions.

The agency said she was well aware of the Supreme Court’s orders regarding the auction but deliberately obstructed the auction proceedings by directing the staff under her not to allow inspection of any attached property and to show it as untainted.

ED stated that any attempt to evade legal proceedings, interfere with the investigation, or obstruct the auction proceedings will be dealt with strictly under the law.

Further investigation is in progress, it added.