SFIO arrests mastermind of shell companies with China links

New Delhi: In a major crackdown on Chinese shell companies in India, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has arrested chief plotter and racket mastermind Dortse.

Dortse had fled from Delhi NCR to a remote place in Bihar and was attempting to escape India through the road route.

"Immediately, a special team was constituted in SFIO which was deputed to the said remote place. In the evening of 10th Sept., 2022, SFIO had arrested Mr. Dortse, who was later produced in the Jurisdictional Court and Orders for his transit remand were obtained," said the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) in a media release.

The official release said that Dortse is on the Board of Jillian India Ltd and has clearly emerged as the mastermind of the whole racket of incorporating large number of shell companies with Chinese links in India and providing dummy directors on their Boards.

"Evidence procured during the enquiry by ROC (Registrar of Companies) Delhi and the simultaneous search operations clearly points to dummy Directors being paid by Jilian India Ltd. to act as dummies in several shell companies," the MCA said.

The MCA further said that boxes filled with company seals and digital signatures of dummy directors have been recovered from the site.

"The Indian employees were in touch with the Chinese counterparts through a Chinese instant messaging app. Husys Ltd. was also found to be acting on behalf of Jilian India Ltd. Initial observations reveal that Husys Ltd had a pact with Jilian Hong Kong Ltd. Investigations so far have revealed the possible involvement of these shell companies in serious financial crimes detrimental to the financial security of the country," it said.

After the simultaneous search and seizure operations conducted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on 8th Sept. 2022 on the offices of Jillian Consultants India Private Ltd at Gurgaon, Fininty Pvt Ltd at Bangalore and Husys Consulting Ltd (an erstwhile listed company at Hyderabad), the SFIO has arrested Dortse.

Dortse had shown himself to be a resident of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh as per the records filed with the Registrar of Companies.

The MCA under whose aegis SFIO operates had assigned the investigation of Jilian Consultants India Private Limited and 32 other companies to SFIO on September 9, 2022.