Mumbai:
How hundreds of bank accounts were opened in the name of unemployed youth, transactions worth crores were made during Maharashtra elections and the money went abroad, the entire details of this have now been exposed. A money laundering racket was going on from Malegaon in Maharashtra in which unemployed Bank accounts opened in the names of youth were being used. It is feared that these accounts were being used for terror funding and corruption in the electoral process.

The network of this racket was spread in many states of India and till now the investigation has exposed illegal transactions worth more than Rs 300 crore. ED has started investigating this case under ‘Operation Real Kuber’. So far 7 people have been arrested.

Some youth of Malegaon who came to meet BJP leader Kirit Soumiya are having sleepless nights. Firstly, they are suffering from unemployment but now they are also afraid of arrest. In Malegaon, a person named Siraj Memon obtained Aadhaar card and other identity related documents from them on the pretext of getting them a government job and then got bank accounts opened in their names. When it was revealed that Siraj was using those accounts for illegal transactions, they were shocked.

Accused Siraj arrested in Malegaon

On the complaint of one of these youth, Malegaon police registered a criminal case against Siraj and Siraj was arrested. Siraj was a businessman from Malegaon who ran a cold drink and tea distribution agency.

On the basis of the FIR lodged by Malegaon police, ED also started its investigation. When the ED investigation gained momentum, it came to light that this matter was not limited to Malegaon only. The network of this racket is spread in many states of the country. International financial transactions have also taken place through the bank accounts of the youth.

Total transactions worth Rs 379 crore from 255 suspicious accounts

ED investigation revealed that the members of the racket opened a total of 255 suspicious accounts on the basis of documents of unemployed youth. These accounts were opened in September and October 2024. Most of the accounts were opened in Nashik Merchant Cooperative Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and some other private and government banks.

Transactions worth Rs 379 crore were made from these accounts between November 6 and 10, before the Maharashtra Assembly elections. 2500 transactions were done from these accounts in 170 branches of different banks in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and West Bengal. There is suspicion of sending money to Dubai from these accounts.

ED raided 23 locations

To investigate the case, ED raided a total of 23 locations in Maharashtra’s Malegaon, Mumbai and Nashik, besides Surat and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. According to experts, the way money has been transferred on a large scale from these accounts before the assembly elections, the possibility that there might have been some conspiracy to disrupt the electoral process cannot be ruled out.

BJP leader Kirit Soumeya, who has often exposed financial scams, is also keeping an eye on the investigation into this matter. According to Somaiya, these bank accounts were being used to conduct terrorist activities, disrupt the electoral process and help Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators.

Although Kirit Soumiya is making many allegations but these have not been verified by the ED. Till now, neither the name of any terrorist organization has come up nor has the ED called any politician for questioning on the charges of involvement in this racket. It is possible that some surprising names may emerge as the ED investigation progresses in the coming days.

Is this a case of ‘Vote Jihad’?

The mastermind of this racket is said to be a person named Mehmood Bagad, who is currently out of the grip of ED. So far seven people have been arrested in this case.

In the eyes of BJP, this entire matter is of vote jihad. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had talked about vote jihad in the state during the assembly election campaign. In the eyes of BJP, the curtain is now being removed from the same vote jihad.