The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against office bearers of NRI Academy of Sciences, a medical college in Andhra Pradesh. Office bearers of the college have been booked on charges of siphoning funds received from MBBS aspirants, siphoning off huge amounts of money from COVID-19 patients and other alleged irregularities, ED said in a press release on Wednesday, December 7. The agency carried out raids against the institution and its members and office bearers on December 2 and 3 in Vijayawada, Kakinada, Guntur and Hyderabad (Telangana). The agency also seized cash and incriminating documents and freezed the properties of various persons involved in this case.

The money laundering case stems from an FIR by the Andhra Pradesh Police that alleged the "diversion" of funds of the society worth several crores by some members in the name of construction of buildings, collection and siphoning off huge amounts of money from COVID-19 patients over and above figures mentioned in books of accounts, collection and siphoning off huge amounts of money from medical students for admission in MBBS course over and above figures mentioned in books of accounts. Earlier in June, police booked 11 persons including NRI Academy of Sciences vice-president Dr Nimmagadda Upendranadh and treasurer Akkineni Mani, on charges of siphoning off several crores from the institution. 

The ED said it was also alleged that funds were diverted from the amount payable to NRI society by floating a company by a similar name called NRIAS Private Limited etc. "Fifty-three documents of immovable properties suspected to be involved in money laundering have been seized and freezed and various other incriminating documents and electronic devices found connected with the alleged diversion of funds have also been seized," the ED said in a statement.