'ED is Conducting Routine Search Operations on Few Paytm Merchants'

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is not investigating anything new and the investigation authorities have sought additional information on the ongoing probes on certain merchants, Paytm said while reacting to the search operation conducted by the enforcement agency.

Reacting to the ED search operation, a Paytm spokesperson said the company has shared additional information with the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) as the agency continues to seek information about certain merchants from various payment providers in connection with its ongoing investigation.

This is not a new investigation but is a part of the ongoing investigation on certain merchants, who are independent entities and not related to Paytm, the spokesperson said.

"As we have mentioned before, ED continues to seek information about certain merchants from various payment service providers, we have shared the required information," the spokesperson added.

The company said the ED queries are related to the same investigation, for which it had notified the stock exchanges on September 4, 2022.

In the earlier stock exchange filing, the company had said: "As a part of ongoing investigations on a specific set of merchants, the ED has sought information regarding such merchants to whom we provide payment processing solutions. It is hereby clarified that these merchants are independent entities, and none of them are our group entities. We are and will continue to, fully cooperate with the authorities, and all the directive actions are being duly complied with."

In early September, the ED had earlier instructed various payment service providers to freeze certain amounts from the Merchant IDs (MIDs) of a specific set of merchant entities. Paytm had then said that none of the funds which were frozen belong to the company or any of its subsidiaries.