Mumbai: Amit Lakhanpal, who allegedly posed as a finance ministry official and cheated investors of more than Rs 113 crore in 2017-18, has been arrested in the UAE based on a red notice issued at the request of Thane police.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared Lakhanpal’s whereabouts with authorities, which led to his arrest on Sept 1, following which govt initiated his extradition process from the UAE and asked the agencies concerned to provide case details. She tried to leave the country thrice in 2023-24 but was intercepted at the airport on the basis of an alert issued by ED along with Thane police. Lakhanpal had allegedly launched a money trade coin (MTC) cryptocurrency and defrauded investors by promising govt recognition for the coin at seminars in star hotels.
Thane police are investigating a fraud case against him along with Taha Hafiz Qazi, Sachin Vasant Shelar, Komal Bhimrao Shirsath and others. Based on the case, ED is investigating them for alleged money laundering. Investigators also found that a senior police officer then serving in Thane handled Lakhanpal’s office and clients. Though Lakhanpal had left the country along with the close associates after registration of the police FIR, his wife remained in the country. Sources state that Lakhanpal procured an Antigua passport for his wife while staying there and sent it to India.
Subsequently, last year she fled the country using the Antigua passport.