Dabang Duniya under scanner; ED attaches Rs 20-cr assets in Wadhwani syndicate probe

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) In a significant crackdown on financial fraud and tax evasion, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Indore Sub Zonal Office, has issued a Provisional Attachment Order worth Rs 11.33 crore against businessman Kishore Wadhwani, his family members, and Dabang Duniya Publications Pvt. Ltd.

The order, dated August 12, 2025, includes immovable assets such as land and flats, whose current market value exceeds Rs 20 crore.

This action is part of an ongoing investigation into a complex money laundering scheme linked to illegal cigarette trade and media manipulation, the investigation agency has said.

The probe was initiated following an FIR registered by Tukoganj Police Station, Indore, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code. The FIR accuses Wadhwani, his nephew Nitesh Wadhwani, and others of conspiring to convert illicit earnings into legitimate income, said the statement.

Central to the case is the alleged nexus between Dabang Duniya Publications and Elora Tobacco Co. Ltd., a company found to be involved in clandestine cigarette manufacturing and distribution.

According to enforcement officials, proceeds from the unaccounted sale of cigarettes were laundered through Dabang Duniya’s accounts using inflated newspaper circulation figures and fictitious advertisement invoices, the statement said.

Investigators uncovered hundreds of fake tax documents and discovered that the actual circulation of the newspaper was grossly overstated.

Vehicles used for transporting tobacco products reportedly bore press stickers of Dabang Duniya, and drivers carried media identity cards to evade scrutiny, the statement said.

Kishore Wadhwani, who was previously arrested under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act for evading taxes, is also facing charges of forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.

His wife Poonam and nephew Nitesh have been named as co-accused in the case, the statement said.

The ED’s attachment order is seen as a major step in dismantling the laundering network that allegedly used media operations as a front for tax evasion.

Further investigation is underway to trace additional assets and uncover the full extent of the financial irregularities. As the case unfolds, it continues to expose the deep entanglement of business, media, and illicit trade in one of India’s largest tax evasion scandals.

--IANS

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