Main suspect in Aarudhra gold scam detained by Interpol

CHENNAI: Five months after issuing a Red notice to apprehend the absconding Directors of Aarudhra gold trading private limited, which cheated investors to the tune of over Rs 2400 crore, Interpol officers have detained one of the main suspects in the case in Abu Dhabi.

The apprehended man, Rajasekar has been absconding for two years with his wife, Usha, who is yet to be secured, police sources said. Tamil Nadu Police are taking efforts to bring Rajasekar to Chennai for further enquiries.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Tamil Nadu Police have arrested close to 50 persons, who were holding various positions in the group, in connection with the financial scam.

According to Police, the firm had collected money from over one lakh depositors between September 2020 and May 2022, promising them interests in the range of 25-30 % for their deposits and has cheated to the tune of Rs 2400 crores.

After investors realised that they have been cheated, hundreds of them approached the police across the state after which, in May last year, the EOW registered a case under several sections of IPC including 420 (cheating and sections of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) act and sections of the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interests of Depositors (TNPID) act.

Initially, a total of 21 persons were booked and eight top executives of the firm including the Directors- Baskar, Mohanbabu, Senthil Kumar, Pattabiraman and managers Rafik, Ayyappan and two agents were arrested. The arrested persons also included a suspended functionary of Tamil Nadu BJP, K Harish (31) who was one of the directors of Aarudhra Gold trading private limited.

Rajasekar is said to be the managing director of Aarudhra gold trading, police said. Apart from the apprehension of the main suspect in Aarudhra case, EOW officials are awaiting suspects in similar financial fraud cases who escaped abroad as complaints against the firms they floated started pouring in.