On July 28, 2023, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) filed a prosecution complaint against Mohammad Kashif in the instance of extortion from the general people by portraying himself as connected to the officials of PMO and ED. On July 31, 2023, the Honourable Special Court received notice of the prosecution complaint.
On the basis of the FIR against Mohammad Kashif that the UP Police had filed in PS Surajpur, Uttar Pradesh, the ED began an investigation into money laundering. Mohammad Kashif, the accused, gave the impression that he was friendly with the PMO and ED officers while extorting money from the people in order to have government agencies/ministries do their duties.
A currency-counting machine, documents related to investigations by various investigation agencies against other people, and cash totalling Rs. 1,10,50,000 were found and seized during searches carried out at Mohammad Kashif’s home in Sector-107, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, during an investigation under the PMLA, 2002 by the ED. These records relate to inquiries made by DRI, Customs, ED, ICAI, etc.
Further inquiry revealed that Mohammad Kashif had extorted Rs. 1 Crore from a family of businessmen utilising the aforementioned method of operation in exchange for their assistance in a case being looked into by the ED. The inquiry has found that Mohammad Kashif had acquired property worth Rs. 1.78 Crore, out of which he had paid Rs.1.05 Crore in cash, in addition to the seizure of cash totalling Rs. 1,10,50,000/-.
In addition to this, he had spent a considerable amount on his extravagant lifestyle (high-end luxury automobiles, watches, clothes, etc.), as well as several trips abroad, without having a genuine source of income. The discovery of records from different investigating agencies demonstrates Mohammad Kashif’s method of extorting money from the general public.
According to the results of the investigation carried out in accordance with the PMLA, 2002 provisions, a prosecution complaint for an offence committed by Mohammad Kashif under Section 3 of the PMLA, 2002 that is punishable under Section 4 of the same law has been filed, and the Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA), Ghaziabad has been requested to confiscate cash totalling Rs. 1,10,50,000 that was found and seized from Mohammad Kashif’s residence.
