ED seizures: Luxury cars, Rs1.7m cash in money laundering probe linked to Rao Inderjeet Yadav

Dubai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it had seized five luxury cars, bank lockers, cash worth ₹17 lakh, digital devices, documents and other data linked to Rao Inderjeet Yadav, a wanted criminal now reportedly abroad, and his associates, according to Indian media reports.

The seizures followed search operations conducted on December 26 and 27 at 10 locations across Delhi, Gurugram and Rohtak, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, ANI reported.

The probe agency said the case involves Yadav, his accomplices, Apollo Green Energy Ltd, and other associated entities. Investigators also found that several movable and immovable assets were allegedly acquired in the names of Yadav and his family members using proceeds of crime, media reports said.

According to the ED, Yadav had developed and operated a website facilitating loan settlements between corporate houses and private financiers, which allegedly played a key role in coercive and illegal financial settlements.

The money laundering probe stems from more than 15 FIRs and multiple chargesheets filed by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh Police under the Arms Act, 1959, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Indian Penal Code, 1860, NDTV reported.

The complaints allege that Yadav has been involved in a range of serious criminal activities, including murder, extortion, coercive loan settlements, fraud, cheating, illegal land grabbing and other violent offences.

Yadav, also known as Rao Inderjeet Yadav, is the owner and key controller of Gem Records Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which operates as ‘Gems Tunes’. Founded in 2006, the company functions as a video-on-demand platform producing and distributing regional music content in Haryanvi, Punjabi and Hindi, media reports said.

Despite his criminal record, Yadav has built a prominent social media presence, with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, where he frequently posts photographs with Bollywood celebrities.

The ED alleged that Yadav “acted as a strongman and enforcer”, facilitating coercive settlements of high-value private loan transactions and financial disputes running into hundreds of crores of rupees.
“These settlements were allegedly executed through threats, intimidation and the use of armed associates of local gangs, with the involvement of organised crime syndicates operating from abroad,” the agency said.

Through these illegal activities, Yadav is accused of earning several crores in commissions, which were allegedly used to acquire luxury vehicles, real estate and maintain an extravagant lifestyle while declaring minimal income in tax returns, the ED said.

The agency also said that the searches uncovered evidence related to the online portal developed by Yadav to broker loan settlements, further strengthening the money laundering case.

Yadav’s criminal history has drawn attention following several high-profile cases. In December 2024, financier Manjeet Dighal was murdered in Rohtak, with the Himanshu Bhau gang claiming responsibility. Yadav’s name later surfaced in the case, following which he allegedly fled the country.

In July this year, his name also emerged in connection with the firing at the residence of singer Rahul Fazilpuria, followed by the murder of Fazilpuria’s aide Rohit Shaukeen in Gurugram a month later, media reports said.

Yadav was also named in the October suicide note of Haryana Assistant Sub-Inspector Sandeep Kumar Lathar, further intensifying scrutiny of his alleged criminal network.

The ED said investigations are ongoing and further action will be taken based on evidence gathered during the searches.