Gurugram realty 'fraud': SC transfers money-laundering case involving Amit Katyal to Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred a money-laundering case linked to alleged cheating of homebuyers, involving real-estate tycoon Amit Katyal, from Gurugram to a special PMLA court in Delhi. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order on Katyal's plea seeking a transfer of the case lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). "We direct the PMLA proceedings pending before the Special Judge, PMLA, Gurugram, Haryana, to be transferred to the Special Judge, PMLA, Saket Court Complex, Delhi. The prosecution shall proceed at such transferee court from the stage at which it is presently pending at Gurugram," the bench said. "In the present case, part of the offence under section 4 of the PMLA had occurred by way of concealment of proceeds of crime attached at Delhi. This gives simultaneous jurisdiction to the PMLA courts at Delhi and Gurugram to try such an offence. "Uncontroverted allegations in the prosecution complaint clearly disclose that the homebuyers were duped and the proceeds of crime were acquired at Gurugram, where the project was situated. Vast tracts of land at Gurugram constituting proceeds of crime have been attached. Given this situation, the institution of PMLA prosecution at Gurugram cannot be faulted," the bench said. On November 19 last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Katyal, a real-estate tycoon considered close to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's family, in the money-laundering case linked to alleged cheating of homebuyers in Gurugram. Katyal was arrested by the ED in 2023 too in a separate money-laundering case related to the railways' alleged land-for-jobs scam involving Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and other family members. Katyal subsequently obtained bail in the case. The latest investigation pertains to the allegations of non-delivery of flats in Krrish Florence Estate, built over 14 acres in Gurugram's Sector 70. The project was being developed by Katyal's company -- Angle Infrastructure Private Limited. According to the ED, Katyal obtained a licence from another developer in a "fraudulent" manner and started collecting funds from prospective buyers much before the grant of licence from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) in Haryana, leading to the generation of "proceeds of crime" worth Rs 300 crore. The ED's probe found several "fraudulent" bookings made by Katyal to third parties in a project meant for central government employees and "diversion" of funds for other purposes, leading to the stalling of the project. The agency has accused Katyal of "alienating" a part of the licensed land of two acres valued at Rs 130 crore at under-valued rates to third parties during the insolvency proceedings, calling it a "clear abuse of the process of law under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code)". Significant loans from a public sector bank were also "diverted" through fraudulent transactions and the lender suffered a loss of about Rs 80 crore, the agency has alleged. A chargesheet was submitted against Katyal in August 2025 by the federal agency in a third case for allegedly duping homebuyers of Rs 500 crore through Krrish Realtech, of which he is a promoter. PTI PKS SJK RC