ED Arrests Influencer Sandeepa Virk in ₹40 Crore Skincare Brand Money Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested social media influencer Sandeepa Virk, who has over 1.2 million Instagram followers, in a ₹40 crore money laundering case linked to a fraudulent skincare brand.
Virk was taken into custody on 12 August 2025 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and has been remanded till 14 August.
According to ED officials, Virk introduced herself as the founder of HyBooCare, an online platform claiming to sell FDA-approved skincare products. However, investigators allege the website was only a façade—there were no real products, payment gateways were inactive, and customer support did not exist. The platform was allegedly used to launder funds disguised as genuine business income.
Link to Punjab Police Case
The ED’s probe began after a Punjab Police FIR under Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC. This FIR became the basis for the money laundering investigation.
Links with Reliance Capital’s Former Director
Investigators also found that Virk had close financial dealings with Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman, a former director of Reliance Capital. Searches at his residence allegedly revealed documents suggesting fund diversion and questionable loan disbursals.
In 2018, loans worth over ₹40 crore were reportedly released under suspicious conditions, including a ₹22 crore home loan that the ED claims violated financial rules. Many of these loans remain unpaid, raising suspicion that the money was diverted through Virk and her associates.
Evidence Collected
The ED has seized documents, recorded witness statements, and claims to have traced fund layering methods pointing to a larger laundering network.
Meanwhile, Sethuraman has denied any wrongdoing, stating that loans were sanctioned after proper checks and were backed by collateral. He also rejected claims of association with Virk.
