An Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on an ocean view bungalow in Chennai has led to some surprising revelations. This bungalow, which is known as the “Benaami Estate”, belongs to the impostor Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
Sukesh Chandrashekhar is in Rohini Prison in Delhi on charges of blackmailing a businessman for 200 crore over a year. He also has over 20 other cases of blackmail against him and operated on a thug from his prison cell, ED officials say.
The ED also searched the Sukeshs residence Employee – Leena Maria Paul, suspected her involvement in the case. Paul, an actor, has worked in several films – mostly in Malayalam. She also had a role in Madras Cafe, a stare from John Abraham.
Versace carpets, Italian marble, chandeliers
ED sniffer dogs ransacked the massive ocean-view bungalow owned by Sukesh Chandrashekhar in Chennai as part of the investigation on Monday. The bungalow itself is worth 10 crore.
Inside, officers were stunned to see the grandiose interior of the bungalow, which also includes a minibar, movie theater, gym, and rooftop pool and relaxation area.
Interiors of Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s Bungalow | Credits: India Today
An official involved in the raid told India Today, “There were Versace rugs on the Italian marble floors. The rooms were filled with expensive furniture and the dining room had an expansive table on the floor. “
“The house, which has gold-patterned walls and dim lighting on the low ceilings, has sculptures worth crores installed. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings of several rooms,” added the official.
Roof area of Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s bungalow | Credits: India Today
The officer went on to say, “A second bedroom has an expansive bed in the middle with fitness equipment on two sides – a treadmill, exercise bike, and rowing machine, while the wall facing the bed has a huge television. The cinema inside the bungalow has five loungers and five seats with a two-seater sofa. There is a refrigerator in the room for refreshments. There is also a massive white tent-like building on the site with a huge pool behind it. “
Fleet of luxury cars
“The road leading to the property was lined with Lamborghinis, Porsches, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Bentleys, Mercedeses, BMWs and Land Rovers,” added the ED official.
Luxury Cars Found in Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s Bungalow | Credits: India Today
Hundreds of pairs of shoes, clothes
ED officials also found a walk-in closet with hundreds of pairs of shoes and clothes in the bungalow of the fraudster Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
The official told India Today: “We found a walk-in closet with clothes and shoes from various luxury brands including Ferragamo, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton, bags from the same brands as Hermes, a minibar, a wine cellar, a cinema, a pool, huge chandeliers and tons of Louis Vuitton bags all over the house. “
Luxury shoes, clothes found in Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s bungalow | Credits: India Today
Conman’s elaborate scheme
When asked how Sukesh Chandrashekhar carried out this elaborate plan from a prison cell, the officer said, “He started out getting a cell phone and used advanced technology to make fake calls to his victims. The unsuspecting victims believed they were answering calls from government officials, “but they actually spoke to the hustler who was in jail.”
The fraudster also recruited some senior prison officials to ensure his plan didn’t hit roadblocks, the official said.
In addition, Sukesh Chandrashekhar also had a banker – Komal Poddar, vice president of RBL Bank – and a few others roped to help him transport the money while other parts of the club were in charge of collecting it.
What led to the downfall?
The lucrative plan collapsed when the ED caught up with Sukesh Chandrashekhar after receiving an anonymous tip. The agency soon found that he had amassed massive sums of money from a businessman’s wife in order to “resolve” all cases against the businessman.
“He asked the woman to take the money to a place in Delhi – it changed every time – and then sent his men to pick it up from her. In the last year she sent him money almost 30-35 times, ”to Enforcement Directorate Official said. He added that it took some time to locate Sukesh Chandrashekhar as most of his masked calls were exposed.
When the ED found out about the fraudster’s accomplices, the agency ransacked the home of banker Komal Poddar and confiscated 82.5 lakh of cash and two kilograms of gold bars.
The Delhi Police Department’s Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) registered a case against Sukesh Chandrashekhar and took him into custody as evidence against him increased. The two senior officials at Rohini Prison who work for the scammer have also been arrested, the ED said.
A second FIR was registered against Sukesh Chandrashekhar after another complainant came forward. The Directorate of Enforcement has filed a case against the fraudster under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
(With contributions by Tanseem Haider)
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