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Observing that the accused had fled the country after criminal cases were filed, a special court has issued non-bailable warrants against four named in the Rs 177 crore Torres fraud scam. The warrants were issued on November 1.
The warrants have been issued against Sagar Mehta, who allegedly handled cash, Oleksandr Zapichenko alias Alex, Stoian and Viktoria Kovalenko.
The Enforcement Directorate claimed that Mehta had fled India on December 28, 2024, and had not cooperated with the probe, and had not responded to summons. Against Alex and Stoian, the ED claimed they were involved in providing illicit capital, converting unaccounted cash into cryptocurrency and reintroducing it as legitimate investment. Money to the tune of Rs 177 crore was collected from the customers at the Dadar showroom and that they had fled on the eve of an FIR being filed. Against Kovalenko, the ED claimed that she was the director of Platinum Hern, and held full control over the company’s finances and operations.
“It appears that the premises of accused Nos 4 to 6 (Alex, Stoian and Kovalenko) were found locked and the accused Nos 4 to 6 have fled from India after criminal cases were registered against them in relations to the fraud committed by M/s Platinum Hern Pvt. Ltd.
Therefore, summons was affixed on the premises of the accused. The summons of accused No 3 (Mehta) could not be served as he has fled to Dubai. The case is serious economic offence, affecting the socio economic condition of the society. There are allegations of money laundering with respect to huge proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 177 crore and many investors have suffered losses because of the act of the accused,” the court said.
The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police and ED had filed the cases earlier this year against Platinum Hern, the company through which Torres jewellery showrooms operated in the city, alleging that the company offered high returns to investors and later duped them.
