Law enforcers looking into PK Halder’s lavish life in India

Indian law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into how Prashanta Kumar Halder alias PK Haldar managed to maintain a comfortable and lavish lifestyle in India after he fled to the neighbouring country looting hundreds of crore taka from Bangladesh.

PK Halder was not only living a comfortable life in India but also led a luxurious life by posing as a citizen of the country in the name of Shibshankar Halder.

He obtained Indian voter ID card, ration card, and Aadhar card. Law enforcers also found Halder to be the owner of at least 20 houses in posh areas of Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore.

He also managed to float companies in India on the basis of fraudulently obtained identities.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India arrested PK Haldar at Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal Saturday morning.

During the raid, ED found huge assets belonging to Halder and many important documents including land deeds.

According to the press release, ED is continuing raids in various places across West Bengal to find others connected to PK Haldar and his associates.

ED is looking for the ones who facilitated Haldar and his associates to continue their fraudulent and illegal activities in India.

Search is being conducted at 10 locations in search of Halder’s other illicit assets, the directorate said in the statement.

The Bankshall Special CBI Court of India has already remanded PK Haldar for three days.

According to Indian media reports, as soon as the arrest of PK Haldar came to light, the Bangladesh government has asking to bring PK Haldar and the rest of the accused back to Bangladesh and complete the trial there.

In Ashoknagar, PK Haldar and his income tax lawyer Sukumar Mridha were neighbours for a long time, according to locals. They knew Mridha as a fishmonger. Mridha too has already been arrested.

According to locals, the two had close ties with several BJP leaders, ministers and MPs from the North 24 Parganas district.

PK Halder is a former Bangladeshi top banker who is a fugitive and wanted in Bangladesh for swindling over Tk 1,000 crore from different non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs).

Through dozens of name-only organisations, Halder and his associates misappropriated money from the NBFIs and amassed properties in Bangladesh while laundering the rest to Canada, Singapore and India.