ED raids FIITJEE coaching centres in Delhi-NCR over money laundering allegations

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out raids at several places in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram as part of a money laundering investigation allegedly linked to coaching institute FIITJEE.

The raids were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and reportedly included properties belonging to the promoters of FIITJEE.

The ED's action comes after many parents filed complaints against the institute. They said that FIITJEE had suddenly shut down several of its centres in January without any prior notice or refund.

Many of these parents had paid high fees, expecting full coaching services for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), but were left disappointed and helpless.

FIITJEE is a coaching chain with 73 centres across India. The issue began when centres in places like Ghaziabad, Noida Sector 62, and Greater Noida were abruptly closed, just before crucial exams.

This unexpected move left hundreds of students stranded, and their families furious.

After the outcry, multiple FIRs were registered, and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police started its investigation in February.

Notices were sent to the account holders and centre owners, but no replies came. Later, the police discovered around 300 bank accounts suspected to be linked to the scam.

These accounts were frozen, and Rs 60 lakh was seized as part of the investigation, according to reports.

Meanwhile, in March, the EOW filed a formal case against FIITJEE for alleged fraud. The charges included cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and common intention under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

At one centre in Laxmi Nagar, east Delhi alone, as many as 192 complaints were received from aggrieved parents.

In response to the allegations, FIITJEE claimed that the decision to close the centres was not taken by the company itself.

In a public statement, the coaching chain said that the managing partners and their teams had deserted the centres without informing the main office.

--IANS

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