ED seizes assets worth ₹13.71 crore in Tadoba tiger safari booking scam | File Photo
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable and movable assets worth Rs 13.71 crore in connection with an alleged scam involving the online booking of tiger safaris at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra. The attached properties include land parcels in Chandrapur and Nagpur districts, along with bank balances held in multiple accounts belonging to individuals and entities linked to the case.
The action was initiated on March 18, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The investigation pertains to financial misconduct allegedly committed by Abhishek Vinodkumar Thakur and Rohit Vinodkumar Thakur, both partners of M/s Wild Connectivity Solutions (WCS).
According to officials, the probe was initiated based on an FIR registered by the Maharashtra Police in Chandrapur district. The FIR accused the Thakur brothers of defrauding the forest department by misappropriating funds and violating terms of their contract.
ED’s investigation revealed that WCS was awarded a Service Level Agreement (SLA) by the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve to manage an online safari booking system, including the collection of entry fees, gypsy charges, and guide fees. However, the Thakur brothers allegedly flouted the SLA terms and siphoned off Rs 16.5 crore between the financial years 2020-21 to 2023-24, causing significant losses to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Conservation Foundation.
In January this year, ED had conducted search operations under the PMLA at premises linked to the accused. During the searches, officials seized gold, bullion, and platinum jewellery worth Rs 1.42 crore, along with digital devices and several incriminating documents. The probe further revealed that the accused used proceeds of crime(PoC) to acquire properties in their own names and in the names of certain entities, and also utilised the funds to repay loans taken by their other firms.
