Overview

• Vinay Shankar Tiwari, a former MLA and Samajwadi Party leader, was arrested on April 8, 2025, along with his relative Ajit Pandey in connection with a ₹754-crore bank fraud and money laundering case.
• The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at multiple locations linked to Tiwari and Gangotri Enterprises, including properties in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Noida, Delhi, and Mumbai.
• Gangotri Enterprises, promoted by Tiwari, allegedly misappropriated and siphoned off a ₹1,129.44-crore loan from a consortium of seven banks, causing a wrongful loss of ₹754.24 crore.
• The arrests follow a series of enforcement actions, including property seizures worth over ₹100 crore and earlier raids in 2023 and 2024 as part of the ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
• Tiwari has been placed in judicial custody for 14 days, with the next court hearing scheduled for April 19, as the investigation continues to uncover financial misconduct involving political and business networks.