Sadhna Group Chief Rakesh Gupta Arrested in Rs 168 Crore Money‑Laundering Probe

Dr Rakesh Gupta, chairman and managing director of the Sadhna Group, was taken into five‑day Enforcement Directorate custody on Saturday for alleged money‑laundering of Rs 168 crore. The arrest took place at 10.25 pm on Friday at Ishwar Farms in Vasant Kunj and he was presented before an Additional Sessions Judge at 2.03 am Saturday. Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler ordered Gupta, 63, to appear again by 4 pm on Oct 15 and justified the reduced custody period because of his age and the nature of the alleged offences. ## What Happened The ED case stems from an FIR filed by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing on Sep 29, charging Gupta with cheating, criminal breach of trust and related offences. He is named as the second accused. The agency says Gupta engineered the insolvency of Sadhna Media Pvt Ltd, whose creditors held 99.41 % of the committee, allowing income‑tax dues of Rs 110.10 crore to be settled for just Rs 20 lakh. ## Legal Details The probe alleges cash of Rs 2.50‑2.82 crore entered through USDT and hawala on the resale of SMPL/Aryan TV, leading SMPL to pay Rs 4.48 crore to connected creditors, including Rs 2,99,55,042.35 to Gupta’s own Sharpline Broadcast Ltd. SEBI’s May 29 order last year labelled Gupta the mastermind of a share‑manipulation scheme at Sadhna Broadcast Ltd, holding him jointly liable for about Rs 58 crore. Special Public Prosecutor Simon Benjamin said custody is needed to trace the hawala cash, the Rs 2.99 crore placed in Sharpline Broadcast, Rs 8.98 crore payable to Saroj Construction and Graphisads, and the liquidated assets of SMPL. Investigators also seek to examine Gupta’s seized iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro, Dubai and Sydney telecast receipts, and records at the group’s Gol Market office. ## Context The case highlights how media houses can use complex financial routes, including crypto and hawala, to hide large illegal proceeds, prompting tighter scrutiny of corporate insolvency and tax settlement practices.