Anti-corruption

Rs 550 cr medical purchase scam: Chargesheet against six in Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing (ACB/EOW) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against six persons for alleged irregularities in purchase of medical equipment and reagent chemicals in 2023 that caused a loss of Rs 550 crore to the state exchequer, an official said. The 18000-page chargesheet names Shashank Chopda, director of Mokshit Corporation, and Basant Kumar Kaushik, Chhirod Rautia, Kamalkant Patanwar, Dr Anil Parsai and Deepak Kumar Bandhe, who were posted with the state-run Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation Ltd (CGMSCL) at the time, he added. "Kaushik was in charge general manager (equipment) and deputy manager (purchase and operations) of CGMSCL. Rautia and Bandhe were biomedical engineers. Patanwar was then deputy manager (equipment) and Parsai was then deputy director (stores). Chopda was nabbed on January 29, while the five were held in March," he said. On January 22 this year the ACB/EOW lodged a case against officials of the CGMSCL ...

China: Xi Jinping ousts PLA's No 2 officer in biggest military shake-up

General He Weidong, the PLA's second-highest-ranking officer and CMC vice-chair, becomes the most senior military official purged in China since 1967

Belgrade braces for pro-president rally amid rising tensions in Serbia

Chanting patriotic songs, thousands of supporters of Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic gathered in downtown Belgrade on Friday, a day ahead of what authorities expect to be a huge rally in his support. Belgrade was on edge, with authorities preparing for large crowds and potential counter-demonstrations in different parts of Serbia, including an anti-government rally in a southern Muslim-populated part of the country. The rally in the Serbian capital is expected to be a significant moment in Serbia's ongoing political crisis after more than five months of student-led anti-corruption protests triggered by a rail station canopy collapse that killed 16 people in the north of the country on November 1. In Belgrade on Friday, Vucic unveiled a Serbian red blue and white flag which the state-run media said is the largest in the history of the Balkan state. In the central parts of the capital in front of the parliament building, dozens of tents were erected to house Vucic's ...

Delhi govt adopts 'zero tolerance' against corruption, urges transparency

The BJP government in Delhi has adopted a zero tolerance stance against corruption, directing various departments to submit six monthly action taken reports. The Finance department recently issued a communication to various departments ensuring submission of half yearly reports on January 1 and July 1 each year on the steps taken to enhance transparency and efficiency of governance and delivery of services. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in a meeting with various departments on Thursday also said that her government will maintain "zero tolerance" against corruption and pay special attention to prevent irregularities in the implementation of schemes. The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked all Union Territories, including Delhi, for furnishing reports on the steps taken by them for ensuring transparency in the implementation of schemes, strengthening anti-corruption branches (ACBs) and procurement of goods through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portals, said a senior Delhi governmen

Courts mustn't hesitate in refusing liberty for corruption-free society: SC

The Supreme Court has said courts should not hesitate in denying liberty to the accused for ensuring a corruption free society. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan accordingly upheld the dismissal of a public official's anticipatory bail in a corruption case. The court lamented corruption had in it "very dangerous potentialities". Further, it opined an "over solicitous homage to the accused's liberty can, sometimes, defeat the cause of public justice". The top court was hearing the plea of a public servant against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court denying him the relief. The high court rejected his anticipatory bail in a case filed against him in Patiala under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The top court said the accused was alleged to have demanded illegal gratification over an audit in the development work in a gram panchayat. "If even a fraction of what was the vox pupuli about the magn

Why Arvind Kejriwal's loss in Delhi signals end of his 'aam aadmi' politics

After a decade in power, the AAP's failure to deliver on key promises led to a humiliating defeat in the 2025 Delhi elections

ACB registers DA case against Telangana official, finds Rs 4 cr assets

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana registered a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case against the Deputy Transport Commissioner, Warangal district, and found assets worth over Rs 4 crore allegedly linked to him and his family members. The case was registered against the official after he allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income by indulging in corrupt practices and dubious means during his service, an ACB release said here. As this is an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, preliminary searches were conducted on Friday at his house and various places belonging to him and his relatives. During the searches, property documents related to houses, open plots and agricultural lands were found in the official's name and in the names of his family members. Furthermore, bank balance amount, household articles, vehicles (four wheelers-3, two-wheeler-1), gold and silver ornaments and 23 foreign liquor bottles were found. The total

Formula E race corruption case: BRS leader Rama Rao appears before ACB

Ahead of his appearance before the Anti-Corruption Bureau, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao on Thursday said his agenda when he was minister in the previous regime was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it and Formula-E race was a part of that ambitious vision. Rao, also known as KTR, was summoned by the ACB for questioning in a case related to "unauthorised" payments to conduct Formula E race, on Thursday at 10 AM. "Worked tirelessly for bringing a prestigious event to India, to enhance the Brand image of Hyderabad & Telangana globally Agenda was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it. Formula-E race was a part of the effort to realise this ambitious vision," he said in a post on 'X'. He further said the intent was to make TMV (Telangana Mobility Valley) clusters the epicentre for innovation, research and manufacturing of electric vehicles creating employment and ...

South Korea police seek to extend impeached President's arrest warrant

South Korea's anti-corruption agency has requested that police take over efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its investigators failed to bring him to custody following an hours-long standoff with the presidential security service last week. The agency and police confirmed the discussion on Monday, hours before the one-week warrant for Yoon's detention was to expire. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials will likely seek a new court warrant to extend the window for Yoon's detention, according to police. The Seoul Western District Court had issued a warrant to detain Yoon on December 31, after he dodged several requests by investigators to appear for questioning. The anti-corruption agency, which leads a joint investigation with police and military investigators, is weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative president, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, ...

Cyril Cabanes faces US SEC charges: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act explained

Cyril Cabanese is charged alongside Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani, in connection to a bribery scheme that misled US investors in a September 2021 bond offering that raised $175 million

CVC flags 34 non-compliance major cases in action against corruption

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has flagged 34 major cases of non-compliance by government departments, which diluted its advice of acting against "corrupt" officials. In some cases, these "corrupt" officials were either exonerated or punishment against them were diluted by the departments concerned, according to the CVC's annual report 2023. Of the total, a highest of seven cases involved are under the coal ministry, five in the State Bank of India (SBI), four in the IDBI Bank, three under the steel ministry and two each under the power ministry and NBCC (India) Limited, it said. One such instance each was in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), the Ministry of Railways, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) among others, according to the report. One each case of deviation from the CVC's advice was also from the ...

Corrupt but 'kind' Gujarat officials allow victims to pay bribes via EMI

In 2023, the Gujarat Police had the highest reported instances of bribery for the fifth consecutive year since 2019

Secret billionaire unmasked in Kazakhstan's fraud hunt caused by riots

Kazakhstan is on a mission to uproot corruption because it's holding back economic development, said Askhat Zhumagali, head of the anti-corruption agency that oversees the crackdown

Noida once 'centre of corruption', now known for its biz growth: Rajnath

Noida was once known as "centre of corruption" but it has now transformed into "centre of business" due to efforts of the double-engine government of the BJP, senior party leader Rajnath Singh said in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday. Criminals once dominated this region in western Uttar Pradesh, even forcing people to migrate but all that has now become a thing of the past, the defence minister also said as he slammed previous non-BJP governments in the state. Singh was speaking at an election rally at Bisaha village in Greater Noida while canvassing support for BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha candidate Mahesh Sharma ahead of the April 26 voting. "You people know very well about Noida. There was a time when Noida was the centre of corruption for the politicians of Uttar Pradesh. It was said for the officers, too, that if there is any biggest centre of corruption, it is Noida," he said. "But today I can say with pride that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ch

Japan PM vows no more fundraising parties at hearing over funds scandal

Japan's beleaguered prime minister was set to stand before a political ethics committee on Thursday at Parliament in a bid to showcase his leadership. Fumio Kishida has fought against plummeting support ratings since his governing party's corruption scandal rocked the government. The scandal, considered the biggest in decades, centres on political funds raised through party event tickets bought by individuals, companies and organisations. It led to 10 people lawmakers and their aides being indicted in January. While Kishida himself is not the focus of the scandal and was not even invited to the hearing, the surprise announcement of his personal appearance broke a deadlock between the opposition lawmakers and his governing party on Wednesday when the five implicated attendants refused to go public, holding up a hearing and further tarnishing the party image. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's resistance to have a fully open session fuelled public criticism that Kishida's party i

65,000 'ghost patients' underwent tests at Mohalla clinics in Delhi: ACB

A preliminary inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government has revealed that 65000 ghost patients underwent pathological tests at the Mohalla clinics through private labs during 11 months of 2023, officials said on Saturday. Two private labs conducted nearly 22 lakh tests during February-December, 2023, out of which 65000 were found to be fake, they said. The labs were paid Rs 4.63 crore by the government for the tests conducted by them, they said. Last month, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the reports of irregularities in lab tests conducted at the Mohalla clinics. The ministry of home affairs has directed the CBI to undertake investigation in the matter. The private labs conducted tests allegedly on ghost patients who never visited any Mohalla Clinic, claimed an ACB official. "It also emerged that the Lab Management Information System (LIMS), containing the name and mobile number of the patients, was also developed, operated and

Jharkhand CM Soren receives fresh summons from ED in money-laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam on Saturday

ED records voice sample of Sujay Krishna Bhadra in school jobs scam case

Enforcement Directorate sleuths on Thursday collected voice samples of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, one of the arrested accused in the school jobs scam, an ED official said. Bhadra, popularly known as 'Kalighat er Kaku' (uncle from Kalighat), is said to be close to the top leaders of the ruling TMC and was allegedly a key official in a couple of companies linked to them. The recording will be sent to Central Forensic Laboratory. Along with the recorded voice samples of Bhadra, the ED will also send the recordings they had collected as evidence while investigating the scam for the purpose of "matching", the official told PTI. His voice was recorded at the ESI Hospital at Joka here after being taken from the SSKM Hospital on Wednesday night. "The accused's voice was recorded at night at the ESI Joka Hospital. The samples were collected by our officers in the presence of two independent witnesses," he told PTI. About eight ED officers, one forensic expert and one technician were present in

Ecuador arrests 6 in prez candidate Villavicencio assassination case

The six men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, a police report said Thursday as authorities investigated the motive for a crime that shocked a nation already reeling from a surge in drug-related violence. The six men were captured hiding in a house in Quito, Ecuador's capital, said the report, which was reviewed by The Associated Press. Officers also seized four shotguns, a 5.56-mm rifle, ammunition and three grenades, along with a vehicle and a motorcycle, it said. Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was known for speaking up against drug cartels, was assassinated in Quito on Wednesday, less than two weeks before a special presidential election. He was not a front-runner, but his death deepened the sense of crisis around organised crime that has already claimed thousands of lives and underscored the challenge that Ecuador's next leader will face. Ecuador's interior minister, Juan Zapata, had earlier

Munesh Gurjar to be interrogated in bribery case by anti-corruption bureau

The now suspended mayor of Jaipur Municipal Corporation-Heritage is "directly linked" to husband's bribery case and will be interrogated by the ACB