Influencer Sandeepa Virk Remanded to Judicial Custody till September 1 by Delhi Court
Sandeepa Virk has been remanded to judicial custody until September 1, 2025, by Delhi's Tis Hazari court, following four days of intense questioning by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).
She was taken into custody by the ED on August 12, 2025, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and remanded to ED custody till August 14.
According to the ED, Virk is accused of obtaining immovable property through deceptive practices and is believed to be the proprietor of hyboocare.com. This website, which ostensibly retailed FDA-approved beauty products, has been flagged by investigators as a potential front, with evidence suggesting the products advertised do not exist.
The ED has alleged that the platform was used as a front to channel illicit funds. The agency highlighted several red flags associated with hyboocare.com, including a lack of user registration, persistent payment gateway issues, minimal presence on social media, and an unresponsive WhatsApp contact number. These anomalies led the ED to suspect the website was not engaged in legitimate commerce but rather served as a conduit for money laundering activities.
The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Punjab Police under Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code. Based on this predicate offence, the ED launched its probe under the PMLA.
Further deepening the investigation, the ED revealed that Virk was in regular communication with Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman, the former director of Reliance Capital Limited. These communications reportedly pertained to illegal liaison work. A subsequent search operation at Sethuraman's residence is said to have corroborated these claims, alongside the discovery of funds allegedly diverted for personal gain.
The case also touches upon significant financial irregularities dating back to 2018. It is alleged that approximately Rs 18 crore in public funds from Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman, bypassing standard lending protocols. Additionally, a home loan of Rs 22 crore from Reliance Capital Limited was purportedly granted, with a substantial portion of these loans allegedly siphoned off and remaining unpaid.
However, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman has issued a statement vehemently denying all accusations, asserting no connection with Sandeepa Virk and emphasizing that his home loan was processed in strict adherence to established procedures. During the investigative search operations, authorities confiscated incriminating documents and recorded statements from key individuals pertinent to the case.