The Enforcement Directorate has attached eight immovable properties worth ₹1.6 crore in a fake educational certificate case in Kerala.
The assets are held in the name of James George, who is the chairman of the Modern Group of Institutions, Kollam, and his wife Seema James.
The ED’s investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is on the basis of a First Information Report registered by the Kerala police, who has also filed a chargesheet against the accused persons.
According to the ED, from 2012 to 2015, Mr. George was involved in the forgery of certificates of various universities situated in different States. He allegedly supplied the fake certificates to students and job seekers in lieu of cash payments and, thus, cheated them in the process.
He also indulged in selling various fake diploma certificates of his Modern Group of Institutions to job seekers and students without conducting any course, it is alleged.
The funds so generated were invested in immovable properties bought in his name, and that of his wife and the Bharathiya Orthodox Church Religious and Charitable Trust set up by him, said the agency.
Therefore, the agency has attached the properties located in Kollam, Alapuzha, Thrissur, Kannur and Wayanad districts of Kerala.
