Mumbai, August 24, 2026: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are pursuing developments arising from criminal lawyer Vijay Aggarwal’s arrest in the United Kingdom, with both agencies awaiting an official report from British authorities before deciding whether the UK investigation warrants any action in India.
Agencies Assess UK Inputs
The CBI is examining the UK inputs from the perspective of the underlying offence—whether the material points to any financial fraud, criminal conspiracy or other cognisable offence involving Aggarwal or persons connected with the reported funds, and whether there are sufficient grounds to register a case in India. The ED’s assessment is running on a separate but linked track: whether the developments have any financial or money-laundering implications under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Officials familiar with the assessment, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Indian central agencies had already established contact with their UK counterparts to obtain preliminary information and verify details emerging from the case. The agencies are seeking information on the reported recovery of cash, the circumstances in which it was found, its ownership and any associated financial links, the officials said. The initial exchange of information is being used to establish the factual position and determine the further legal course of action.
Arrest And Court Proceedings
Aggarwal was arrested in London on August 11 and charged with four counts of sexual assault. He appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 13 and was remanded in custody. His next hearing is scheduled before Southwark Crown Court on September 10.
The sexual-assault charges are separate from any financial investigation and do not, in themselves, establish any connection with cash, financial fraud or money laundering. Sources, however, said British authorities were independently examining a reported cash recovery. The information available to Indian agencies at this stage remains preliminary and has not been formally shared through official channels, the sources said.
Cash Recovery Under Scrutiny
According to a senior official from the financial-probe agency, speaking on condition of anonymity, the Aggarwal case is being assessed for its cross-border implications under the PMLA, with the focus centering on the reported recovery of unverified cash from his rented Mayfair residence during a UK immigration-related investigation. British authorities reportedly recovered a substantial amount of cash during the investigation. However, the exact amount, ownership and source of the money remain unclear, and the reported recovery has not been independently established through publicly available UK records.
Sources familiar with the matter said Indian agencies were examining a possibility that the reported funds could belong to a prominent absconding accused linked to a betting syndicate who has been living in London for several years and is allegedly operating a betting exchange. The individual is also described by sources as a former associate of Mahadev betting app case accused Saurabh Chandrakar and is said to be a client of Aggarwal. There are also suspicions that the funds may potentially be linked to the wider financial network of absconding economic offenders and connections involving Mehul Choksi. The ED is therefore closely monitoring the report and other inputs from the British agencies.
Aggarwal’s High-Profile Clients
Aggarwal has represented several high-profile accused, including fugitive businessmen Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi. He has also represented H.S. Tibrewal, whose name had cropped up in the Mahadev Book illegal betting app case probe. His representation of such clients, however, does not by itself establish any connection between him and their alleged offences.
Aggarwal reportedly entered the UK on a standard visitor visa and subsequently came under scrutiny from British immigration authorities over alleged unauthorised legal work and business activities. According to officials familiar with the assessment, the immigration-related inquiry and reported cash recovery are being examined separately to determine whether his activities in the UK had any financial dimension.
Indian Agencies Await Report
The Indian central agency is currently ascertaining whether Aggarwal was handling, holding or facilitating funds on behalf of clients or other individuals facing financial or criminal investigations in India, and whether any such funds could be linked to proceeds of crime.
His family and legal team have also disputed reports seeking to link his detention to illegal cash or financial wrongdoing and have maintained that there is no such finding on the judicial record.
Also Watch:
At present, neither the ED nor the CBI has initiated formal proceedings against Aggarwal in connection with the reported cash recovery. The agencies remain on standby, awaiting the official UK report to establish the factual position before determining whether further action in India is warranted.
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