The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered shocking details in a huge Ponzi-style investment scam linked to Aarudhra Gold Trading Pvt. Ltd. (AGTPL). On 26 November 2025, ED teams carried out searches at 21 locations across Chennai, Kancheepuram, Mumbai and Kolkata under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
What is Aarudhra Gold Ponzi Scam?
According to the investigation, AGTPL lured over 1 lakh depositors with unbelievable promises — 10% to 30% monthly returns, gold coins, monthly payouts, and referral bonuses. The scam left victims claiming around ₹2,438 crore, with confirmed defaults of ₹1,404 crore. The main accused, V. Rajasekhar, is still absconding with his wife. Money was looted from the public, and the accused easily escaped.
Aarudhra Gold Company, headquartered in Chennai, is accused of defrauding about 1.92 lakh people of funds worth Rs 2,438 crore. They purportedly attracted deposits through manipulative tactics, claiming 25-30% interest returns between 2020 and 2022. Specifically, 256 agents have been identified who allegedly procured deposits from the public, and they are under investigation.
ED’s financial probe found ₹2,000 crore moving through various bank accounts, including 1,230 high-value debits above ₹10 lakh each. Many of these were circular transactions used to hide and divert public money. Searches also exposed that some listed “directors” were actually dummy staff doing basic jobs, unaware of the company’s fraudulent operations.
Officials recovered ₹22 lakh cash, digital evidence, and property documents worth over ₹1.5 crore. The ED says this is just the tip of the iceberg, and the investigation is still underway. This raid highlights one of Tamil Nadu’s biggest investment frauds — a scam that shattered thousands of families and siphoned crores under the mask of a gold-trading business.
-
-
-
-
-
-
