Hyderabad The Hyderabad District Enforcement Directorate on Friday announced the arrest of Nohera Shek, founder of the Hyderabad-based Hera Group, in an alleged case. $A Rs 3,000-crore investment fraud case was recovered from its hideout in Gurugram, Haryana in a joint operation with Haryana Police on Thursday.
In an official statement, the directorate said that Noira Shek was living in Sector 45 in Gurugram under the fake identity of Sheikh Khimar Jahan using forged documents along with her accomplice Sameer Khan.
“She was arrested on Thursday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, and was later produced before a special PMLA court in Hyderabad, which remanded her to judicial custody,” the statement read.
According to the CEO, the investigation was initiated based on multiple FIRs registered by the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh police against Nowhera Shaik, Mauli Thomas, Biju Thomas and Hira Group of Companies after complaints from investors across the country.
Investigators claimed that more than 1.72 lakh investors were duped through fraudulent investment schemes floated by the group.
Nowhera Check allegedly collected deposits from investors by promising annual returns of nearly 36% through investments in Hira group companies.
However, the agency claimed that the promised returns and even the principal amounts were not paid to investors.
During the investigation, the CEO found that investors’ funds were being transferred to personal accounts through the company’s bank accounts.
The agency claimed that the proceeds were used to acquire large movable and immovable assets.
The CEO also stated that several properties linked to the alleged proceeds of crime have already been seized under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
According to the agency, Nwera Shik filed petitions in the Supreme Court and allegedly tried to delay the investigation by presenting incorrect facts before the court.
The agency claimed that during the court proceedings, affidavits were submitted claiming that the person identified as CK Maula Sharif was willing to purchase attached properties worth $580 Crores.
However, the Supreme Court reportedly found that the bank accounts mentioned in support of the claim did not contain the said funds and subsequently ordered contempt proceedings against Mola Sharif.
The CEO also alleged that some of the linked properties were sold illegally by filing false statements before revenue authorities, resulting in additional proceeds of crime.
Separate FIRs have reportedly been registered in connection with those transactions.
According to the Executive Director, the Supreme Court recently allowed the agency to auction off the associated properties before the completion of court proceedings in order to facilitate refunds to investors through the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
The court also directed Nowhera Shek to cooperate in the auction process and execute the real estate sale deeds.
The executive management said it had successfully auctioned off some properties, generating approx $122 Crores.
However, it alleged that Nowhera Shik failed to cooperate in the execution of sale deeds in favor of the winning bidders and repeatedly tried to obstruct the auction proceedings.
Thereafter, the Enforcement Director again approached the High Court, which on April 8, 2026, ordered her to surrender before the prison authorities within a week and complete the execution of sale deeds for the 16 auctioned properties within two months.
The court also warned against non-bailable orders (NBWs) and cancellation of bail in case of non-compliance.
The agency claimed that despite the court’s directions, Nawira Sheikh neither surrendered nor cooperated with the investigation.
Subsequently, the special PMLA court canceled her bail and issued a non-bailable warrant against her on May 7, 2026.
The prison administration claimed that she later tried to mislead the court by submitting an affidavit stating that the prison authorities refused to detain her after she attempted to surrender.
However, prison officials reportedly told the court that she never contacted them.
According to the ED, teams conducted searches at locations in Hyderabad and Bengaluru but were unable to trace her.
Based on intelligence inputs, officials later traced her to Gurugram, where she was allegedly living under a false identity using fake documents, the CEO said, adding that further investigation into the case was underway.
