Koneru Prasad, the alleged mastermind behind the Emaar scam, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday.
Mr Prasad is the founder of Stylish Homes and the chairman of the Trimex Group. He is also the director of Emaar Hills Township Private Limited.
The CBI had been questioning Mr Prasad for the past two days at the Dilkusha Guesthouse regarding the Emaar scam. CBI joint director V.V. Lakshminarayana said, “Koneru Prasad has been arrested on the allegation that the plots were sold at the rate of `10,000 to `50,000 per square yard, but the records were falsified to show that they were sold only for `5,000. We will be seeking his custody to find out how much money was routed to foreign countries.”
Mr Prasad has been charged with Criminal Conspiracy (120 B), Cheating (420), Criminal Breach of Trust (409), 477 A (falsification of accounts) and 471 of the IPC (using genuine as forged document).
The CBI found that the black money was diverted into NRI accounts in Dubai.
Emaar PJSC had entered into an agreements with Stylish Homes to sell villa plots at a pre-determined price, less than the market price, without the knowledge and consent of the APIIC, the joint venture partner for the project.
When asked about the arrest of IAS official B.P. Acharya, the then vice-chairman and MD of APIIC who has been named as accused number A-1 in the FIR, the joint director only said, “We will see.”
Mr Prasad will be produced in the CBI special court at Nampally on Friday morning. The CBI is also likely to arrest Stylish Holmes director T. Ranga Rao who allegedly played a key role in the multi-crore fraud.Mr Prasad’s arrest was based on the statements of plot owners P.S. Parthasarthi and Y.V. Prasad recorded under Section 164 CrPc before the magistrate. Parthasarthy had purchased 1,100 square yards for `5.75 crores.
In his statement, he had said he paid `4.08 crores to Koneru Prasad of EHTPL and Ranga Rao of Stylish Homes at Prasad’s Jubilee Hills house. The remaining amount of $2.5 lakh was sent to an NRI account of Koneru Prasad’s son Mr Koneru Madhu in Dubai.