Actress Kriti Verma recorded her statement with the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case where an income-tax official had already siphoned off Rs. 264 crore by using the login credentials of his seniors. Businessman Bhushan Patil, who was in a relationship with Kriti, is a key accused.
According to the ED, most of the illegal funds were channelled to Patil’s account while a part was used to buy properties, including some in Kriti Verma’s name. The actress has denied the ED’s allegations that proceeds of an I-T TDS refund racket were diverted to her account. She explained that Bhushan Patil had transferred about Rs. 1 crore into her account as payment for a dance performance before they got into a relationship. She also claimed that she entered into a relationship in 2020-end, after the offence was committed. She added that she separated within six months, after learning about the fraud.
The ED has provisionally attached their assets, and properties of some others.
The fraud is said to have been committed by I-T inspector Tanaji Mandal Adhikari along with Bhushan Patil. Adhikari cleared 12 fraudulent TDS refunds amounting to a total of Rs. 264 crore between November 2019 and November 2020. In January 2022, the CBI registered a cheating case against Patil, Adhikari and four unknown persons. Verma was not named in the CBI FIR.