Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Tory donor Karan Chanana under investigation in India over fraud allegations

Chanana enjoyed media attention as a prominent Indian businessman while establishing his successful international food brand

Tory donor Karan Chanana under investigation in India over fraud allegations

Major Tory donor and Indian rice magnate, Karan Chanana, is being investigated over allegations of fraud and money laundering, reported The Guardian.

He faces probe in India over claims that tens of millions of pounds of bank loans were unlawfully diverted into shell entities. However, the tycoon has not responded to the claims.


Chanana, the head of the global rice brand Amira, has donated more than £220,000 to the Tories through his British company Amira G Foods since September 2019, the Guardian reported last year.

His firm Amira Nature Foods is domiciled in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) with its headquarters in Dubai.

According to the report, Tories face calls to freeze the money donated by Chanana, pending an inquiry.

The enforcement directorate in India said it conducted search operations on 2 May at 21 locations in the country connected to Chanana, the Indian company Amira Pure Foods and other parties.

According to the agency, searches were carried out under India's Prevention of Money Laundering Act, resulting in the seizure of around £100,000 worth of Indian currency. As of now, no charges have been filed.

In a statement, the enforcement directorate said: “Investigations revealed that the accused entities in connivance with each other as well as other related/unrelated entities have illegally diverted loan funds sanctioned by the consortium of banks by way of transferring loan funds into the accounts of various shell entities under the guise of genuine business transactions.

“It was also known that Karan A Chanana had donated to a political party of [the] United Kingdom since 2019 … while the accused entity had itself defaulted on repayment loans.”

Chanana, 50, turned a family business founded in 1915 into a major international producer of Indian speciality rice. The firm has specialised in Indian basmati rice, grown in the foothills of the Himalayas.

As per corporate filings, his company Amira Nature Foods was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2012. The company had subsidiaries named Amira Pure Foods in India, which is currently under investigation, and Amira G Foods in the UK.

The UK company show net liabilities of £5.96 million and is being supported financially by the parent company.

Amira Nature Foods was delisted from the New York stock exchange in August 2020 after it missed deadlines for filing financial information.

A consortium of banks, headed by India’s Canara Bank, filed an information report with India’s Central Bureau of Investigation in November 2020 alleging bank fraud.

Amira Pure Foods, along with Chanana and other directors, have been accused of engaging in fraud loan transfers to shell companies from 2009 to 2018. These actions allegedly resulted in bank losses exceeding £116m. Currently, Amira Pure Foods in India is undergoing liquidation.

The enforcement directorate said it initiated its investigation based on the information report filed by the banks.

Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP and chair of the all-party group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, has called on the Tory party to identify the source of the funds donated by Amira and to freeze the money until investigations are concluded.

Recently, the BBC and the Evening Standard reported that they had successfully obtained the right to disclose the name of a Tory donor whose foreign companies were linked to a global money-laundering case. The donor, Javad Marandi, has denied any wrongdoing and is not facing criminal sanctions.

This case prompted an urgent parliamentary question by Alison Thewliss, a Scottish National Party MP, regarding its implications. Chris Philp, the minister for crime, policing, and fire, responded that the government could not comment on ongoing law enforcement investigations.

The Electoral Commission recommended the government to enhance controls and verification processes to prevent foreign funds from being used in UK politics.

A spokesperson for the Tory party emphasised that they only accept donations from permissible sources, which include individuals registered on the UK's electoral roll or UK-registered companies.

Donations are declared transparently to the Electoral Commission, openly published by them, and fully comply with the law, the spokesperson added.

More For You

Police officers

Police officers stand guard between an anti fascist group and Tommy Robinson supporters during an anti-immigration rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, September 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

UK defends France migrant returns deal after court blocks first removal

THE British government has defended its new migrant returns deal with France after a High Court ruling temporarily blocked the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker, marking an early legal setback to the scheme.

The 25-year-old man, who arrived in Britain on a small boat from France on August 12, was due to be placed on an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Wednesday (17) morning. But on Tuesday (16), Judge Clive Sheldon granted an interim injunction, saying there was a “serious issue to be tried” over his claim to be a victim of trafficking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

Dr Amal Bose. (Photo: Lancashire Police)

Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

AN ASIAN senior heart surgeon, who abused his position to sexually assault female members of staff, has been jailed for six years.

Dr Amal Bose, from Lancaster, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault against five colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2022. He was cleared of two other charges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

Trump greets Modi on 75th birthday, trade talks continue in Delhi

Highlights:

  • Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
  • Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
  • India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
11th UK Gatka Championship

All winners received medals and trophies

UK Parliament

11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

Highlights:

  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut

The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

Inauguration by global leaders

The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vantara

The site, located in Gujarat, houses hundreds of elephants, as well as 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards, and 900 crocodiles. (Photo: Instagram/Vantara)

India court probe clears Ambani family’s animal centre

AN INDIAN Supreme Court-ordered investigation has cleared a large private animal facility run by the son of Asia’s richest man, rejecting allegations of wildlife violations.

Vantara, described as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre,” is operated by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Keep ReadingShow less