ED Attaches Seven Properties Worth ₹1.50 Crore in BSNL Bulk SMS Routing Scam
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Office-I, has provisionally attached seven immovable properties worth approximately ₹1.50 crore in connection with a money laundering investigation involving Swarnjeet Singh, the then Sub-Divisional Engineer (SDE) at the Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) of BSNL, Chandigarh, and others.
The action has been taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch (CBI-ACB), Chandigarh, against Swarnjeet Singh, M/s Doorsteps Solutions and other accused.
According to the ED investigation, Swarnjeet Singh allegedly conspired with Saurabh Tyagi, Marconi James Macwan and Preeti Gohel to facilitate unauthorised access to BSNL’s SMSC infrastructure. This allegedly allowed bulk SMS traffic to be routed by bypassing the mandatory Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)/Tanla platform and the prescribed billing system.
The investigation further revealed that approximately 63.37 crore bulk push SMS messages were allegedly routed through the SMSCs without following the required procedures. This reportedly caused an estimated revenue loss of ₹5.42 crore to BSNL, including approximately ₹4.05 crore in Interconnection Usage Charges.
The ED also alleged that M/s Smart Technology, M/s Doorsteps Solutions and their partners benefited financially from these unauthorised bulk SMS services by accessing them at rates below the prevailing market prices.
The seven properties provisionally attached by the agency include agricultural land in SAS Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, along with residential and commercial properties in Vadodara, Gujarat.
With this latest action, the total value of properties provisionally attached in the case has reached approximately ₹2.30 crore. The ED has estimated the proceeds of crime identified so far in the investigation at around ₹6.47 crore. The agency had previously attached property worth ₹80 lakh in the case on March 27, 2025.
News Source : Directorate of Enforcement (ED) – Official Press Release, Government of India
