Bhopal, Jan 13 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate’s Indore Sub-Zonal Office has filed a charge sheet before the Indore Special Court in the money laundering case involving Kishore Wadhwani, Nitesh Wadhwani, Poonam Wadhwani, and M/s Dabang Duniya Publications Private Limited, a press statement said on Tuesday.
The charge sheet was lodged on October 30, 2025, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, and the court took cognisance of the offence on January 12, 2026.
The investigation stemmed from an FIR registered at the Tukoganj Police Station in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.
The FIR alleged that Kishore Wadhwani, Nitesh Wadhwani, and others conspired with malicious intent to convert illegally acquired money into lawful income by hatching a scheme to defraud the government on a large scale, the statement said.
A key element uncovered is a direct connection between M/s Dabang Duniya Publications Private Limited and M/s Elora Tobacco Company Limited, the latter found by the Central Goods and Services Tax Department to be engaged in the illegal distribution and clandestine trade of cigarettes, it added.
The probe revealed that cash proceeds from the sale of these illicit cigarettes were funnelled into the books of Dabang Duniya Publications through inflated sales figures and fictitious advertisements.
Kishore Wadhwani and his accomplices allegedly used inflated newspaper circulation numbers and bogus advertisements to portray legitimate business activity.
Fake tax invoices were created, and the disproportionate funds were laundered through multiple layered transactions to obscure their criminal origins.
The proceeds of crime in the matter have been identified as exceeding Rs 11.66 crore.
“During the investigation, the ED’s Indore Office issued a provisional attachment order amounting to Rs 11.33 crore, targeting assets linked to the accused to prevent further dissipation of the tainted funds,” the statement said.
This case highlights the alleged nexus between an illegal tobacco cigarette operation and a media publishing entity, where press-related facades were reportedly used to facilitate smuggling and evasion.
Vehicles transporting tobacco products were said to carry press stickers of Dabang Duniya and drivers possessed media identity cards to avoid checks, according to related probes.
“Kishore Wadhwani, associated with the newspaper business and tobacco trade, has faced prior actions under GST laws for tax evasion, forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy,” the statement added.
The Enforcement Directorate’s filing of the charge sheet marks a significant step in holding the accused accountable under anti-money laundering provisions, aiming to dismantle the financial infrastructure built on proceeds from the alleged fraud and illegal trade.
The central probe agency continues its efforts to trace and attach further assets derived from these activities while the judicial process advances in the special court, the press statement added.
–IANS
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