Torres Ponzi scheme fraud case: ED to question arrested accused

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will question the accused arrested by the Mumbai police in the Torres ‘fraud’ case. The ED filed an application before a special court in Mumbai seeking permission to record statements of accused Valentina Ganesh Kumar, Tazagul Khasatova alias Tanya, Alpesh Khara and Sarvesh Surve.

The court permitted the ED to visit Byculla jail and Arthur Road jail where the accused are kept for a period of five days from February 3 to 14. “The Superintendents of Byculla Prison and Arthur Road Prison are further directed to allow the above mentioned officers to carry electronic gadgets i.e. mobile phone, laptop, printer, pen-drive etc. along with them for the purpose of recording statements,” the court said.

So far, six persons have been arrested in the case, where Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, which runs the Torres jewellery brand, is accused of offering high returns investment opportunities to people and later duping them. The ED has filed a separate care to probe money laundering.

Meanwhile, Valentina Kumar has filed a bail application claiming that she was only working as a translator and had nothing to do with the day to day functioning of the company.