Anil Ambani Skips ED Summons in FEMA Case, Gets Fresh Date
The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani, requiring his appearance on November 17. This follows his absence from a scheduled hearing on Friday.
Key Developments
- Anil Ambani missed his scheduled ED appearance on Friday
- Fresh summons issued for November 17 appearance
- ED rejected Ambani’s request for virtual deposition
- Case involves alleged FEMA violations in Jaipur-Reengus Highway Project
Case Background and Allegations
The summons concerns alleged foreign exchange violations connected to the Jaipur-Reengus Highway Project. The ED suspects approximately Rs 100 crore was routed abroad through ‘hawala’ channels.
Before summoning Ambani, the agency had questioned several individuals, including alleged ‘hawala’ operators. This marks Ambani’s second encounter with the ED, having been previously examined in a separate money-laundering probe involving an alleged Rs 17,000-crore bank fraud concerning Reliance Group companies.
Ambani’s Response and Defense
In a detailed statement, Ambani’s spokesperson confirmed he had written to the ED expressing willingness to “fully cooperate on all matters” and had offered to appear virtually.
The spokesperson clarified that the ongoing inquiry is a FEMA case, “not a PMLA matter, as wrongly attributed by some media without diligence”.
Describing the case as “15 years old”, the statement explained it relates to a 2010 EPC contract awarded by Reliance Infrastructure for constructing the JR Toll Road on the Jaipur-Ringus stretch.
“This was a purely domestic contract with no foreign exchange component involved whatsoever,” the statement asserted, noting the project has been completed and has been under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) since 2021.
The spokesperson also emphasized that Ambani was not a member of Reliance Infrastructure’s board, stating: “He served the company from April 2007 to March 2022 only as a non-executive director and was never involved in day-to-day management.”
