CID Crime issues lookout notice for BJP worker Bhupendrasinh Zala
Updated: Nov 28th, 2024
Gandhinagar CID Crime raided seven offices of BJP worker Bhupendrasinh Zala over an investment fraud and released a lookout notice against him on Wednesday.
CID Crime Branch chief Rajkumar Pandian stated that Zala, a resident of Himmatnagar, opened BZ Financial Services, BZ Traders, and BZ Group of Companies and became its CEO.
He opened offices at various locations and activated agents in Talod, Ransan, Himmatnagar, Vijapur, Modasa, Malpur in Aravalli, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara districts to collect money from investors.
They lured investors with high returns and prizes. An investment of five lakhs promised a 32-inch TV, a trip to Goa on ₹10 lakh investment, a written guarantee of 7% interest on investment and fixed deposits, and 18% return on investment.
Zala collected ₹6,000 cr from investors with the financial transactions of the company involving ICICI and IFC banks. The transactions worth ₹175 crore were carried out through these two accounts.
However, most transactions seem suspicious and four different companies were opened without obtaining any permission from any government institution for collecting money.
CID Crime stated that a formal complaint was registered and raids were conducted by seven teams in Ranasan, Himmatnagar, Vijapur, Modasa, Malpur, and Gandhinagar offices.
A total of ₹16.37 lakh, two computers, three laptops, four printers, eleven mobile phones, 338 document papers, four PAN cards, four cheque books, eight receipt books, diaries, and notebooks were seized from the raids.
Political leader and fraudster?
Over the period of six years, Zala opened companies under his short name ‘BZ’ and lured people to invest with promises of hefty returns in north and central Gujarat.
Thousands of crores were collected through agents. Simultaneously, he became active to become politically and socially influential. After filing nomination papers for the last Lok Sabha election, he withdrew.
After this, he also became a formal member of the BJP. To show that he is active in the BJP, and to maintain close ties with local leaders and rural leaders, he actively participated in social programmes and collected huge investments.
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