NEW DELHI: ED has arrested Sandeepa Virk, a social media influencer who also ran an online platform with little business, allegedly a front for money laundering.The arrest followed a police case registered in Mohali, with the probe agency conducting raids on Tuesday and Wednesday at multiple locations in Delhi and Mumbai, ED said in a press release.The agency said it found that Virk, who acted in movies and claims to be a cosmetologist, was in regular touch with Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman, a former director of Reliance Capital, which was part of the Anil Ambani group. The ED statement alleged Virk had been communicating with Sethuraman regarding illegal liaising work. It added that this was also confirmed during searches at the residence of Sethuraman, who was a prominent member of the business group’s corporate affairs team in Delhi.When contacted, Sethuraman said, “These allegations are entirely baseless” and that he had no connection or involvement with Virk or any transactions related to her.
ED alleges diversion of funds by Sethuraman
In a release, ED said, “Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has been unearthed during course of search. In 2018, public money of Rs 18 crore approx belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd was disbursed to Sethuraman by flouting prudent lending norms. The funds were lent under terms that allowed deferment of principal as well as interest, with multiple waivers granted & no due diligence conducted. Besides, home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by violating the prudential norms. Large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid.”Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.Following her arrest, Virk was produced before a special court here on Wednesday, which remanded her to ED custody till Aug 14. Virk’s arrest came after searches conducted by the agency in Delhi and Mumbai on her premises and those of her close associates,She is accused of impersonating officers of law enforcement agencies, duping individuals, and participating in a Rs 6 crore fraud against complainant Jasneet Kaur, under the pretext of investment in a film project. The main accused in the fraud, Amit Gupta alias Nageshwar Gupta, was declared a proclaimed offender in Oct 2024.The agency claimed during its searches, it seized “incriminating documents” and records, and statements of key persons and associates, including Farrukh Ali, were recorded. ED said its current searches were part of an ongoing investigation into charges against Virk and her associates, who are alleged to have “exerted undue influence through misrepresentation and defrauded individuals by soliciting money under false promises”.“Virk has acquired immovable property in her name by making false promises and cheating. She claims to be owner of hyboocare.com, a website purportedly selling FDA-approved beauty products. However, the products listed on the site have been found to be non-existent,” the agency said. It added that its probe revealed that the website floated by Virk lacked basics, such as user registration options. Scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number, and absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce suspicion of non-genuine commercial activity, ED said.
 has arrested social media influencer Sandeepa Virk for alleged money laundering, following a police case in Mohali. V){kind=link}