The Enforcement Directorate has arrested two people who allegedly masterminded the “illegal” sale of prime properties belonging to the Spiritual Regeneration Movement Foundation of India (SRMF) by using forged documents and posing as its office-bearers, the agency said on Friday.

The SRMF, a society registered in 1963 under the Societies Registration Act and linked to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, owns substantial immovable properties across multiple States.

The accused have been identified as G. Ram Chandra Mohan and Akash Malviya. They were arrested after searches at multiple locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh’s Noida. The agency has frozen the bank accounts and movable assets of Singhvahini Infra Projects Private Limited and its directors for their alleged complicity in the fraud.

Criminal conspiracy

The ED probe is based on multiple cases registered across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, impersonation, and criminal breach of trust.

“G. Ram Chandra Mohan has been identified as the principal conspirator and key controlling person. After fraudulently projecting himself as the treasurer of SRMF in 2010, he created a fictitious entity with a similar name, obtained a fake PAN (later deactivated by the Income Tax Department as ‘Fake Assessee’), and illegally opened a bank account to route the Proceeds of Crime,” the agency alleged.

Mr. Malviya, allegedly a close aid of Mr. Mohan, posed as an executive member of SRMF and assisted in executing fraudulent sale deeds as an authorised signatory, the ED said.

According to the agency, Singhvahini Infra Projects director Pradeep Singh was also involved in the “fraudulent transactions”. The ED added: “More significantly, immediately after execution of the said sale deed, he proceeded to further alienate portions of the same property to third parties.”