Hyderabad: Nowhera Shaik, the prime accused in the multi-crore Heera Gold investment fraud case, was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials from an Airbnb property in Gurugram on Thursday. Officials said she had allegedly been staying there in disguise, using a fake name and suspected forged identity documents.Her arrest came after the Supreme Court cancelled her bail and a local court issued a non-bailable warrant against her. Police sources said Nowhera was suspected of using a fake Aadhaar card and other forged documents while staying at the property.Acting on human and technical intelligence inputs, the ED’s Hyderabad unit tracked Nowhera and detained her on Thursday morning. She is being brought to Hyderabad on a flight from Delhi and will be produced before a judge at Begumpet.Following her court appearance, she will undergo a medical examination before being lodged in jail. The ED is also expected to approach Gurugram police to register a separate case regarding the alleged use of fake identity documents and the rented residential premises.Nowhera had reportedly gone into hiding after failing to surrender despite the Supreme Court’s April 8 direction ordering her to surrender before jail authorities within a week. The apex court observed that she was not cooperating in the execution of 16 sale deeds in favour of auction purchasers, even though the ED had already received the sale consideration following the auction.The ED and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) have been investigating the Heera Group and Nowhera for allegedly collecting money from thousands of investors by promising annual returns of 36%.Investigators alleged that the funds were diverted to acquire movable and immovable assets in the names of Nowhera, her associates and various Heera Group entities.Earlier, the ED had provisionally attached assets worth Rs 400 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The attachment was later confirmed by the adjudicating authority. The agency has also filed a prosecution complaint before the special PMLA court in Hyderabad.
