South Africa has announced it will engage with the Indian government regarding the arrest of two Gupta brothers in India, one of whom is wanted in South Africa for allegedly looting billions from state-owned enterprises, reported PTI.
The arrests of two of the three Gupta brothers occurred on Saturday after prominent Uttarakhand-based builder Satinder Singh Sawhney mentioned them in his suicide note.
However, there is uncertainty about whether this Ajay Gupta is the same individual who fled South Africa with his family a few years ago.
The Gupta brothers—Atul, Ajay and Rajesh—are accused of diverting billions of rands (South African currency) in South Africa through their close ties with former President Jacob Zuma. The family escaped to Dubai after Zuma’s ousting in 2018.
Ajay, the eldest Gupta brother, is believed to be the mastermind behind the family’s corrupt activities in South Africa. His younger brothers, Atul and Rajesh, were detained in Dubai in 2022.
Ajay and his brother-in-law Anil Gupta were apprehended in Uttarakhand on Saturday.
In 2023, the UAE rejected South Africa’s extradition request for Rajesh and Atul, prompting South Africa to declare them fugitives. The brothers had established a vast business empire in the IT, media and mining sectors.
A local court in Dehradun placed two brothers in 14 days’ judicial custody on charges of abetting a builder’s suicide.
Satinder Singh, also known as Baba Sahni, jumped from the eighth floor of his daughter’s building on Friday and later died from his injuries in the hospital.
Following a complaint by Sahni’s son, Ranveer Singh, and the discovery of a note allegedly written by Sahni, the police registered a case against Anil Gupta and Ajay Gupta, subsequently arresting them, authorities reported earlier.
With inputs from PTI.
