Ansal API group VC arrested, sent to 14-day judicial custody

LUCKNOW: Vice chairman of real estate giant Ansal API group, Pranav Ansal, was arrested by Lucknow police on Sunday after he was detained by immigration authorities at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, when he was to board a flight to London on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Pranav was wanted in several cases of fraud and criminal breach of trust, registered against him and his father Sushil Ansal, chairman of Ansal API group, at different police stations of Lucknow.Pranav has previously dismissed the allegations against him by saying the charges were “false and frivolous.”

“The immigration authorities detained Pranav as the Lucknow police had got a ‘look out’ circular issued for the father-son duo, suspecting that they could leave the country after several criminal cases were registered against them,” said senior superintendent of police (SSP), Lucknow, Kalanidhi Naithani.

The SSP said added: “The group chairman is still in the wanted list of the Lucknow police.” The SSP said a team of the city police was sent to Delhi immediately after the immigration authorities informed them about Pranav’s detention at the airport. He said the police took custody of Pranav and brought him to Lucknow where they produced him before a remand magistrate

› The immigration authorities detained Pranav as the Lucknow police had got a ‘look out’ circular issued for the father-son duo, suspecting that they could leave the country after cases were registered against them KALANIDHI NAITHANI, SSP, Lko

who sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.

THE CASES

Naithani said Pranav, Sushil and some other authorities of their real estate group are accused in about 24 criminal cases, but the father-son duo has been declared wanted in nine of these criminal cases. The SSP said the duo is accused in at least 15 criminal cases registered at Hazratganj police station and declared wanted in two of them. He said five criminal cases are registered against the duo with PGI police station and are wanted in three of them. Naithani added: The duo is wanted in three criminal cases registered with Vibhuti Khand police station and wanted in one case at Gomti Nagar police station. Naithani said two directors of the group, Arun Mishra and Harish Gulla, were arrested earlier in two cases registered with the Vibhuti Khand police station, after which the chairman and vice chairman went missing.