South Africa has said it will engage with the Indian government on the arrest of two Gupta brothers in India, one of whom is wanted in South Africa for allegedly looting billions from state-owned enterprises. Two of the three Gupta brothers were arrested on Saturday after a prominent Uttarakhand-based builder, Satinder Singh Sawhney, named them in his suicide note, according to a PTI report.
However, there is uncertainty about whether this is the same Ajay Gupta who fled South Africa along with his family couple of years ago.
The Gupta brothers, Atul, Ajay and Rajesh, are accused of siphoning off billions of rands (South African currency) in South Africa through their close association with former President Jacob Zuma. The Gupta family fled to Dubai after Zuma was ousted in 2018.
Ajay, the eldest of the three Gupta brothers, is believed to be the mastermind behind the family’s corrupt and fraudulent schemes in South Africa. His younger brothers, Atul and Rajesh, were arrested in Dubai in 2022.
Ajay and his brother-in-law Anil Gupta were arrested in Uttarakhand on Saturday.
In 2023, the UAE turned down South Africa’s extradition request for Rajesh and Atul, leading South Africa to declare them fugitives. The brothers had built a vast empire in the IT, media, and mining sectors.
SOUTH AFRICA’S GUPTA BROTHERS HELD IN UTTARAKHAND?
Reports emerged on Saturday about the arrest of Ajay Gupta along with his brother-in-law Anil on charges of abetment of suicide, reported PTI.
A prominent builder, Satinder Singh Sawhney, named them in his suicide note before jumping off his multi-storey apartment building.
Meanwhile, a court in Dehradun on Saturday sent the two to 14 days’ judicial custody on charges of abetting the suicide of Satinder Singh alias Baba Sahni.
However, there is uncertainty about whether this is the same Ajay Gupta who fled South Africa alongside his brothers Atul and Rajesh, the third one also on South Africa’s wanted list.
SOUTH AFRICA STARTS FORMAL PROCESS TO GET HOLD OF GUPTAS
“Justice and Correctional Services has noted reports of the arrest of two Gupta brothers, Ajay and Anil, in India. Our arrest warrants were for Rajesh and Atul Gupta. Nevertheless, formal processes are underway through the High Commissioner in India to verify and for possible engagement,” Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of Justice, was quoted by PTI as saying.
Officials said, although the reports identified the two as “brothers”, the trio that fled South Africa with their families is Ajay, Atul and Rajesh, while Anil is believed to be their brother-in-law, married to their sister Achala.