ED Files PMLA Complaint Against Chartered Accountant in Rs 6.85 Crore ERDC Fraud Case

The ED (Enforcement Directorate), Ahmedabad, has filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) before the Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA), Ahmedabad, under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), 2002. The complaint was filed on March 16, 2026, against a Chartered Accountant (CA) named Tehmul Sethna, who was accused of having defrauded a Trust named “Environment Research and Development Centre (ERDC)”.

Consequent to the FIR registered by the Gujarat Police under the IPC (Indian Penal Code) 1860, the ED started its investigation into the matter. During scrutiny, the ED found that Tehmul Sethna was given responsibility to manage the Trust’s (ERDC) administrative and financial work. During this role, he dishonestly took the signature of one of the trustees for opening a bank account, and thereafter, he forged that trustee’s signature to issue unauthorised bearer cheques.

Following this process, he was able to withdraw approximately Rs 6.85 Crore from the Trust’s bank account without the Trust knowing or the permission of the other trustees. As per the law, this money cannot be considered legal and is liable to be considered “proceeds of crime”, as it was produced using an illegal process.

In this case, the authorities had previously issued a Provisional Attachment Order, under which several immovable properties, such as residential flats and plots worth the same amount as the Proceeds of Crime, i.e., Rs 6.85 crore, were attached.