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Gupta properties raided in India amid ongoing state capture probe
Indian authorities have intensified their pursuit of the controversial Gupta brothers, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducting high-profile raids on properties linked to Ajay, Atul, and Rajesh Gupta across New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and their ancestral home in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The operation, carried out on 26 August under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), follows a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) from South African authorities investigating the Guptas’ alleged role in the infamous “state capture” scandal during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure.
The raids targeted businesses tied to the Gupta brothers, including entities linked to Indian businessman Piyoosh Goyal’s World Window Group and associate Ram Ratan Jagati, who is accused of laundering funds through a Dubai-based shell company, JJ Trading FZE.
The Gupta family’s sprawling Saharanpur residence and a lavish Hindu temple under construction were also searched, with the ED seizing documents and questioning individuals connected to the brothers’ financial network.
The Gupta brothers, once a powerful force in South Africa through their business empire spanning mining, media, and technology, have long been accused of leveraging their close ties with Zuma to secure lucrative state contracts and influence government appointments.
Their Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg, a hub for high-profile political meetings, was recently sold at auction for R34.5 million, a fraction of its R64 million valuation, reflecting the family’s fall from grace.
South Africans are watching closely as India’s actions signal a tightening global net around the Guptas, who fled to the UAE in 2018.
Although a 2022 extradition attempt failed, South Africa has since rectified its treaty with the UAE, renewing hopes that the brothers may yet face justice for their alleged role in siphoning billions of rands from the country.