The government has zeroed in on 5,800 companies suspected to have laundered money after demonetisation, a government statement said on Friday, calling it the “tip of the iceberg” of corruption. The number was based on data submitted by 13 banks on post-demonetisation transactions by some of the more than 200,000 companies struck off the records of the Registrar of Companies earlier this year.
“Data received from them (13 banks) pertains to merely about 5,800 companies (out of more than 2 lakh that were struck off) involving 13,140 accounts,” said the statement by the ministry of corporate affairs. Earlier, these banks had been asked to restrict operation of the bank accounts of such companies by their directors.