New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it has attached 48 immovable properties worth Rs 60.44 crore including flats, shops, lands belonging to Gilbert Baptist, his family members and entities controlled by him in a financial fraud case related to diversion of depositors money in Malaika Multi-State Cooperative Credit Society (MMCCS).

Based on an FIR and two charge sheets filed by the Mira Road Police Station of Maharashtra State Police, the central government initiated a PMLA investigation.

The ED probe revealed that Malaika Multi-State Cooperative Credit Society (MMCCS) was established in 2010 by Gilbert Baptist, Marceline Baptist. Later, Baptist appointed various other dummy Directors of MMCCS. The society was run as a one man show by its Chairman Baptist.

"All other members were following his instructions for day to day operations... The investors were systematically lured to deposit their savings in multiple schemes, with promises of great returns. But, instead of investing the deposits in secure businesses or instruments, Gilbert Baptist diverted the majority of the funds to his own business ventures," said the ED.

It further stated that Baptist had opened various businesses in the names of Malaika Appliances Pvt Ltd (MAPL), Yasoma Industries, Yasoma Wedding Sarees and Malaika Starcity Project etc, which were run from the investments received from MMCCS. The financial auditors of MMCCS pointed out several irregularities during annual periodic audits which were ignored by Gilbert Baptist and his aides. No prudent financial norms for sanctioning loans were followed.

The same reckless pattern was followed in his businesses also. He diverted the funds to create properties in the names of himself, his family, his associates, his businesses.

His business ventures lost money and soon the accounts of MMCCS became NPA, resulting in losses to thousands of innocent investors. It is estimated that deposits worth Rs 200 crore and more were lost because of the fraud played by Gilbert Baptist.

"The proceeds of crime acquired by diversion of depositors money was used to create immovable properties in Maharashtra and Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka, in the name of M/s MAPL, Gilbert Baptist, Marceline Baptist, Elcy Rodrigues, Reena Jose, Manohar Shetty, Sushant Sabat, Malaika Star City Project, Yasoma Industries and Yasoma Wedding and the same have been attached by ED," the official said.

Earlier, the ED had arrested Baptist and he is presently in judicial custody.

Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.

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