On Tuesday (12th August), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a social media influencer named Sandeepa Virk in connection with a money laundering case. Virk is a staunch supporter of Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.
According to reports, the accused is 32 years old and has more than 12 lakh followers on Instagram. Sandeepa Virk ran a company called ‘HybooCare’, wherein she claimed to sell FDA-approved beauty products.
As per the ED, the company was not a real business and more of a ‘cover.’ HybooCare reportedly had no user registration system, a dysfunctional payment gateway and WhatsApp contact on its website.
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Sandeepa Virk, the owner of hyboocare. com, a website purportedly selling FDA-approved beauty products, during searches conducted August 12 and 13 at multiple locations in Delhi and Mumbai under the provisions of the Prevention of Money… pic.twitter.com/myd4DIWDqP
— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2025
At the same time, the company had no details about the team or its operations, besides poor engagement on social media. This first raised suspicions about ‘HybooCare’ being a front to move ill gotten wealth.
Sandeepa Virk solicited money from people by making false promises and through fraudulent pretences and used it purchase properties and fund a lavish lifestyle.
She was connected with a former director of Reliance Capital (now defunct) named Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman, who conducted illegal liasion work and diverted funds.
Involvement in 40 crore money laundering scam
Sethuraman also approved loans worth ₹18 crore in one case and ₹22 crore in another in violation of norms. As per the Enforcement Directorate, the loans were never repaid and the funds were siphoned off.
The revelations were made during raids conducted by the central agency in Delhi and Mumbai between 12th and 13th August.
The Enforcement Directorate informed that Sandeepa Virk benefitted from these illegal transactions made by Sethuraman. She was taken into custody on 12th August and was remanded to custody till 14th August.
Virk was booked under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The investigation in the case begun after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed by the Punjab police.
Sandeepa Virk was born and raised in Delhi. She had started her career in modelling before featuring in Punjabi, Malayalam and Kannada films. Later, Virk shifted her focus entirely on social media.
While her social media posts are largely apolitical, her X (formerly Twitter) account shows her heartfelt support for Congress party and Rahul Gandhi.
Sandeepa Virk peddles anti-Modi propaganda
Since 2020, Sandeepa Virk had been at the helm of anti-Modi propaganda. She has been relentless in amplifying lies and falsehoods of Congress-sponsored trolls and party workers.
The money laundering accused had shared tweets of Swara Bhaskar and Sanjay Jha, mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Love for Congress party
As evident from her activity on X (formerly Twitter), Sandeepa Virk had retweeted several tweets of Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and amplified the ideological stance of the party on an array of issues.
Virk, accused in high-profile money laundering case, was seen misleading the public on issues of inflation and fuel hike by sharing tweets of the Gandhi scion.
Active supporter of Shaheen Bagh gang
The social media influencer had extended her support to the politically motivated anti-farm law movement, which attempted to undermine the Indian State in the garb of their Opposition to 3 revolutionary farm laws.
