Officials of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Monday questioned former MP, D.K. Suresh, in a money laundering case against city-based businesswoman Aishwarya Gowda, who had cheated several people on the pretext of gold business ventures posing as sister of Mr. Suresh.

Aishwarya Gowda is alleged to have used the name of Mr. Suresh, who is the brother of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, to cheat several jewellers to the tune of ₹8 crore. She was arrested by the ED in April.

Mr. Suresh was at the ED office for over six hours on Monday. After the questioning, Mr. Suresh said he had cooperated with the investigation, and officials had asked him to appear before the agency again on July 8. “My name has been misused and I had already complained about it to the city police. Neither do I know her personally nor have had any financial transactions with her,” he said. 

The former MP further said that he wouldn’t say ED was targeting him. “Several people had given her money after she dropped my name. Many people who lost money have mentioned my name and hence ED had summoned me and I have cooperated with them,” he said. 

Properties attached

Meanwhile, ED officials provisionally attached properties worth ₹3.98 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 related to Aishwarya Gowda and others for being found involved in the offence.

The attached properties include immovable properties in the form of flats, constructed building, and land worth ₹2.01 crore and movable properties in the form of cash and vehicle, worth ₹1.97 crore, the ED said in a statement on Monday. 

The agency initiated the investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered at various police stations in the State against Aishwarya Gowda, her husband Harish K.N., and others under various sections of IPC and BNS.

According to the complaint, Aishwarya Gowda, Harish and others entered into a criminal conspiracy to defraud and cheat several individuals by taking gold, cash and funds through bank accounts from them promising high rate of returns.

However, the accused neither returned the money nor given the promised returns and also threatened the investors of dire consequences if they pursued the matter, by claiming her proximity to various high-profile politicians.