Corruption

Nepal parliamentary panel finds graft worth billions in China-built airport

A Nepal parliamentary committee has uncovered a large-scale corruption worth around Nepalese Rs 14 billion in the construction of the Pokhara International Airport, built by a Chinese company with a soft loan from China. A report by the sub-committee under the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) led by Member of Parliament Rajendra Lingden found irregularities in the airport's construction. The report highlighted an embezzlement of approximately Rs 14 billion and called for investigations and action against several senior officials involved in the project. The Pokhara Regional International Airport was built from a loan of around Rs 22 billion from the Exim Bank of China and was completed by the Chinese company on December 29, 2022. As per the agreement, Nepal is required to repay the loan at a 2 per cent interest rate for seven years after the completion of the airport construction and then clear the principal in the next 13 years. The sub-committee te

Robert Vadra's questioning over land deal case concludes for now

The agency is expected to summon others connected to the Gurgaon land deal case for further interrogation in the coming days

Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for Hasina's niece Tulip Siddiq

A range of charges relate to corruption has been brought against Tulip Siddiq and other family members of Sheikh Hasina

Fresh arrest warrant issued against Sheikh Hasina, daughter in graft case

A Bangladeshi court on Thursday issued a new arrest warrant against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wajed Putul and 17 others in a graft case, accusing them of procuring a residential plot through "fraudulent" means. On Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib accepted the charge sheet submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). As the accused were absconding, the court issued arrest warrants against them. "Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammad Zakir Hossain Galib issued the warrant accepting the ACC charge sheet in the case, the statutory graft agency's prosecutor Mir Ahammed Salam told reporters. He said the judge asked ACC to submit its investigation report on May 4 for hearing the charge involving the piece of leased out land by state-run Rajdhani Unyan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) in Purbachal area on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka. The ACC filed the case against the deposed premier on January 12, 2025, and the oth

ED arrests ex-chairman of Karnataka co-op bank in Rs 63-crore fraud case

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested a former chairman of a Karnataka-based cooperative bank for alleged financial irregularities of about Rs 63 crore at one of its branches. R M Manjunatha Gowda was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and produced before a special court in Bengaluru, which sent him to ED custody for 14 days, the federal probe agency said in a statement. The arrest came a day after the ED carried out raids in Bengaluru and Shivamogga districts of Karnataka in the probe against the financial affairs of the Shimoga District Co-Operative Central Bank, City Branch. "Large-scale misappropriation of funds took place at the said branch which was orchestrated primarily by the branch manager, B Shobha, on the instructions of Gowda," the ED alleged. The two and their legal representatives could not be contacted for comment on the ED's charges. According to the chargesheet filed by Lokayukta Police (of Karnataka Police), the E

CM's economic advisor denies saying 'K'taka is No. 1 in corruption'

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's economic advisor, Basavaraj Rayareddi, on Wednesday said he never claimed that "Karnataka is number one in corruption" during the tenure of the present Congress government. Rayareddi issued a clarification after a few publications in Karnataka reported that, during a review meeting by a committee for the redressal of regional imbalance, he had told officers that Karnataka tops the country in corruption. Accusing the media of twisting his statement made in Koppal, the Yelburga Congress MLA said he had only highlighted the perception that "Karnataka is branded as the most corrupt state", which, he said, is unfortunate. "I did not say that corruption has increased during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's tenure. It's a phenomenon that has been prevailing for the past two to three decades," Rayareddi told reporters here. Insisting that he never made such a statement at a press conference, Rayareddi claimed, "I never said Karnataka is the number one corrupt sta

Gokhale Institute's parent body secretary held for fund 'misappropriation'

Police have arrested the secretary of the Servants of India Society, the parent body of the prestigious Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) here, for alleged misappropriation of funds and cheating, an official said. Milind Deshmukh was arrested on Saturday on a complaint by GIPE's deputy registrar Vishal Gaikwad, the Deccan Gymkhana police station official said on Sunday. "Funds of Rs 1.5 crore belonging to GIPE were allegedly diverted for the purchase of land for the Servants of India Society (SIS). The alleged misappropriation took place in 2022-23. Deshmukh has been booked under IPC sections 406, 420 and 34 for criminal breach of trust, cheating and other offences," the official said. Deshmukh, while working as SIS secretary, in December 2022 drafted a letter with his own signature to the Gokhale Institute in which he demanded to free hold SIS land in Nagpur valued at Rs 1.5 crore, the complaint stated. "Deshmukh didn't seek any permission. A letterhead of SIS was

French court finds Marine Le Pen guilty in case over misuse of EU funds

A French court found Marine Le Pen guilty Monday in an embezzlement case but didn't immediately say what her sentence might be and how it might impact the far-right leader's political future. Le Pen and 24 other officials from her National Rally are accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc's regulations. Le Pen and her co-defendants deny wrongdoing. The biggest concern for Le Pen is that the court may declare her ineligible to run for office with immediate effect" even if she appeals. That could prevent her from running for president in 2027. She has described such scenario as a political death. The Constitutional Council ruled Friday, in a separate case, that imposing the punishment immediately was constitutional. With so many defendants, the verdict could take several hours for the chief judge to read out. Le Pen was in court. If found guilty, she a

Long stays in postings breed corruption, rotate officers: Parl panel

Long stays of officers in postings breed corruption and remedial measures should be taken to ensure that they do not stay beyond the prescribed time limit in any ministry, a parliamentary panel has said. There has been a rotational policy for all officers but it is not being implemented in toto, the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice said in its 145th report, tabled in Parliament on March 27, on the Demands for Grants (2025-26) pertaining to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). There are officers who are posted in potentially favourable ministries or places for over 8-9 years, especially in economic and sensitive ministries, and are continuing their stay despite heads of organisations being replaced four-five times. This trend should be assessed, it said. Instances have come to notice where officers have "manoeuvred their postings in such a way that their whole career has been in the same ministry and hen

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

Former HC judge Nirmal Yadav acquitted in 2008 cash-at-judge's door case

A special CBI court here on Saturday acquitted former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice (Retd) Nirmal Yadav and four others in the 2008 cash-at-judge's door case. In the sensational case, a packet containing Rs 15 lakh was allegedly wrongly delivered at the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, another sitting high court judge, on August 13, 2008. It was alleged that the cash was meant for Justice Nirmal Yadav as a bribe to influence a property deal. The Court of Special CBI Judge Alka Malik pronounced the verdict on Saturday. Defence counsel Vishal Garg said the court acquitted former Justice Nirmal Yadav and four others. There were a total five accused in the case, one of whom died during the trial. The court on Thursday had heard the final arguments in the case registered against Justice Yadav by the Central Bureau of Investigation and posted the pronouncement of verdict for March 29.

Cash discovery row: SC's in-house 3-member committee commences inquiry

Three members of the Supreme Court-appointed in-house committee on Tuesday commenced its inquiry into the alleged cash discovery row involving Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, sources said. They said the three members -- Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Justice G S Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka -- reached Justice Varma's official residence at 30, Tughlak Crescent here. The judges were inside the official residence of Justice Varma for around 30-35 minutes and apparently inspected the site, sources said. The alleged cash discovery took place following a fire at Justice Varma's official residence here at around 11.35 pm on March 14, prompting the fire officials to rush to the spot and douse it. On March 22, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna constituted a three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into allegations against ..

Judicial work withdrawn from Justice Yashwant Varma, says Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Monday announced that judicial work from Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose official residence a large stash of cash was allegedly discovered after a fire, has been withdrawn with "immediate effect", till further orders. The announcement was made in a note issued by the high court. Another note attached to the cause list of the day on the high court's website stated that the court master of division bench-III, which was headed by Justice Varma, will give dates in matters listed before today. "In view of the recent events, the judicial work from hon'ble Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma is withdrawn with immediate effect, till further orders," the note released on the court's website under the name of registrar (listing) said. In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court on March 22 uploaded on its website the inquiry report of Delhi High Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya -- complete with photos and videos -- regarding the alleged discovery of a substantial amount of cash

'We are not a trash bin': Allahabad bar slams Justice Varma's transfer

The Supreme Court Collegium decided to transfer Justice Yashwant Verma back to Allahabad High Court after hoards of cash were recovered in his New Delhi home

UP Invest CEO Abhishek Prakash suspended over allegations of corruption

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday suspended senior IAS officer and Invest UP Chief Executive Officer Abhishek Prakash over allegations of irregularities and corruption in approval of a project by an investor, officials here said. An alleged middleman, Nikant Jain, involved in the case was also arrested on Thursday, they said. Prakash, a 2006-batch IAS officer, was suspended after an investor in the solar industry lodged a complaint alleging that Jain demanded a commission to facilitate approvals for projects. Jain was arrested on Thursday. Later in the day, the government said in a statement UP Invest CEO Prakash was suspended. Invest UP is the state's investment promotion agency, aiming to attract and facilitate investments. Prakash was serving as its CEO. Jain was arrested for allegedly demanding money from an entrepreneur for clearing his proposal with the help of Invest UP functionaries, officials said. Nikant Jain (40), son of the late Sudhir Kumar Jain, was arreste

India, Mauritius ink pact during PM's visit to curb money laundering, graft

During the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India and Mauritius signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in combating money laundering, corruption, fraud, asset recovery and the financing of illicit activities, the ED said Thursday. The collaboration between Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) of Mauritius will "bolster" financial enforcement capabilities and will also contribute to broader economic and security cooperation between the two nations, the federal probe agency said in a statement. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged in the presence of Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Navinchandra Ramgoolam. During the discussions leading to the MoU, the ED and the FCC explored the possibilities of "joint operations" to detect, investigate and prosecute cross-border money laundering offences, according to the ED. They also underlined the significance of exchange programmes, experience sharing, training and skill build

CBI files fresh FIR against ex-FCI GM after surfacing of 'illicit' wealth

The CBI has registered a fresh FIR against Banoth Prem Singh, a former General Manager of Food Corporation of lndia arrested in a bribery case, after the unearthing of an illicit sum of over Rs 3 crore, allegedly belonging to him, from a businessman, officials said Friday. The information about the money surfaced during the analysis of his WhatsApp exchanges by CBI investigators who were probing him in connection with alleged bribery case, they said. "The scrutiny of whatsapp (sic) chats, statement of bank account etc. has established that the illegal money of Banoth Prem Singh to the tune of Rs.3.47 crore were parked with G. Satyanarayan (businessman) from time to time as mentioned in the handwritten notes shared by him out of which Rs 2.47 crore were transferred to different accounts and persons or given to different persons for different purposes," the CBI FIR said. Singh was arrested in June last year in a trap operation involving a Rs 1 lakh bribe. The CBI had acted against hi

ED attaches Rs 65 cr assets linked to ex-GM of Sikkim Bank in fraud case

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 65.46 crore in connection with a money laundering case involving a former general manager-ranked officer of a Sikkim-based bank. The ED said in a statement that the attached assets include four residential properties and land parcels located in Deorali, Syari, Ranipool and Penlong - all in Sikkim. These properties were allegedly acquired using proceeds from fraudulent activities linked to siphoning of funds from the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) by Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, its former general manager (operations). Additionally, several bank accounts with a combined deposit of approximately Rs 53.41 crore in the names of Lepcha and his family members have also been frozen, the statement said. These actions are parts of an ongoing investigation into the misappropriation and laundering of funds from the bank under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Established in 1968

EOW arrests son of absconding businessman in New India Coop Bank fraud case

The Mumbai police's economic offences wing (EOW) has arrested the son of a businessman wanted in connection with the embezzlement of Rs 122 crore at the New India Cooperative Bank, an official said on Friday. The EOW on Thursday arrested Manohar Arunachalam (33), the son of absconding accused Unnathan Arunachalam, the official said. This is the fourth arrest in connection with the case, he said. The EOW had earlier arrested three persons, including the bank's ex-general manager, Hitesh Mehta, and real estate developer, Dharmesh Paun. The official said Manohar allegedly helped his father, Unnathan Arunachalam alias Arun Bhai, to flee, and a probe has revealed that he was with his father when the latter absconded. He will be produced in a court later in the day, the official said. EOW officials have been searching for Unnathan Arunachalam for the last several days, and a lookout circular has been issued against him According to the EOW, the bank's ex-general manager, Hitesh Mehta,

French firm accuses MMRDA of corruption, seeks diplomatic intervention

The French company has alleged that MMRDA officials demanded benefits and intentionally delayed payments. Systra has raised these concerns with the Indian government and sought diplomatic intervention