India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a high-profile raid on the ancestral home of the Gupta brothers—Ajay, Atul, and Rajesh—in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, as part of a deepening investigation into money laundering and corruption allegations. The operation, which began in the early afternoon and lasted nearly five hours, targeted properties linked to the brothers, who are at the heart of a sprawling scandal that spans South Africa and India.
The raid is connected to a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) from South African authorities, focusing on the Gupta brothers’ alleged role in the “state capture” scandal during the presidency of Jacob Zuma (2009–2018). The brothers, originally from Saharanpur, are accused of leveraging their close ties with Zuma to secure lucrative state contracts and influence government appointments, siphoning billions of rands through illicit financial networks. In India, the ED’s probe centers on suspicions that the Guptas laundered money through entities like World Window Group and a Dubai-based shell company, JJ Trading FZE, with searches also covering properties in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.
The Gupta family’s ancestral home in Saharanpur’s Old Rani Bazar, along with a lavish Hindu temple under construction, were among the sites searched. The operation also involved questioning Ram Ratan Jagati, described as a key figure in the Guptas’ financial network. This raid follows earlier actions by Indian tax authorities in 2018 and 2021, which targeted Gupta properties in Saharanpur and Dehradun over suspicions of illicit fund transfers into India.
In South Africa, the Gupta brothers’ business empire, spanning mining, media, and technology, has been synonymous with corruption since allegations surfaced of their undue influence over Zuma’s administration. The 2022 Zondo Commission report detailed how the brothers facilitated corrupt acts involving senior African National Congress (ANC) members and state officials. Atul and Rajesh Gupta were arrested in the UAE in 2022, but their extradition to South Africa
The ED’s latest action underscores ongoing efforts by Indian and South African authorities to dismantle the Guptas’ financial networks. While the brothers deny wrongdoing, their case continues to highlight issues of cross-border corruption and money laundering, drawing scrutiny from both nations’ anti-graft agencies.