Page 11 - Enforcement Directorate

ED raids Bhupesh Baghel's house in connection with case against son

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday launched fresh raids at the premises of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel's son Chaitanya Baghel in connection with a money laundering probe against him linked to an alleged liquor scam, officials said. Chaitanya Baghel's house in Bhilai town, which he shares with his father, is being searched by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on receipt of fresh evidence in the case, they said. The federal probe agency conducted similar raids against Chaitanya Baghel in March this year. Bhupesh Baghel, a senior Congress leader, also posted a message on X saying the ED has reached his Bhilai residence on the last day of the assembly session. The ED earlier said Chaitanya Baghel was suspected to be the "recipient" of the proceeds of crime of the alleged liquor scam. It has said the Chhattisgarh liquor "scam" resulted in a "massive loss" to the state exchequer and filled the pockets of the beneficiaries of a liqu

ED files chargesheet against Robert Vadra in Shikohpur land deal case

This is the first time a chargesheet has been filed by any investigative agency against 56-year-old Robert Vadra in a criminal matter

ED raids in ₹100 cr 'cheating' case against promoters of Bengaluru bank

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided multiple locations in and around Bengaluru as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged fraud of Rs 100 crore with more than 15,000 depositors by the promoters of a local bank, officials sources said. The probe pertains to Shushruti Souhardha Bank, Shruthi Souharda Bank and Shree Lakshmi Souharda Bank and their promoters, including N Srinivas Murthy and his family members, the sources said. At least 15 locations in and around the city were searched by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The allegations against the promoters pertain to cheating of over Rs 100 crore from more than 15,000 depositors by luring them to make deposits with high interest. These funds were "diverted" through unsecured loans to associates and most of the loans became non performing assets (NPAs) and the money was laundered and used to buy properties, the sources said. The federal probe agency has detected more than 2

ED raids in UP, Mumbai in conversion racket case linked to Chhangur Baba

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided multiple locations in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai as part of a money laundering investigation into an alleged religious conversion racket linked to 'Chhangur baba', officials said. At least 14 premises, including 12 in Balrampur district and two in Mumbai, are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The raids were launched around 5 am, along with a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) team, which was there to provide security cover to the ED officials. The federal probe agency recently filed a case to probe the activities and financial details of Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, alleged to be a mastermind of an illegal religious conversion racket operating in Uttar Pradesh. Jalaluddin hails from Balrampur district, and his real name is Karimulla Shah. Jalaluddin, his son Mehboob and associates Naveen alias Jamaluddin and Neetu alias Nasreen were arrested by the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) recently,

SC to hear pleas for review of 2022 verdict upholding ED powers on Jul 31

The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed July 31 for hearing a batch of pleas seeking review of the 2022 verdict that upheld the Enforcement Directorate (ED) powers of arrest and attachment of property involved in money laundering, search and seizure under PMLA. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi adjourned the matter, which was listed for hearing on Wednesday, to July 31 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said he was not available. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, said he has no objection, if the matter is listed on July 31. On May 7, the top court asked the Centre and the petitioners to frame issues to be adjudicated in challenge to a verdict which upheld the ED's powers to arrest and attach property of the accused. The Centre had contended that the hearing on the review petitions cannot go beyond the two specific issues flagged by the bench which issued notice on the petitions in August 2022. Sibal had earlier ...

ED questions Robert Vadra for 5 hours in Sanjay Bhandari-linked PMLA case

Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was on Monday questioned for about five hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari and some others, official sources said. The 56-year-old Vadra arrived at the federal probe agency's office located in central Delhi after 11 am. He was accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi, MP from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. The session ended shortly after 5 pm, during which Vadra once went out during lunch hour. The businessman's statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. They said he may be called again for questioning as he allegedly "failed" to answer certain questions regarding his financial links with Bhandari and his family members. He was called by the agency twice last month for questioning in this case, but he sought deferment of his summons as he reported being unwell during the first summ

National Herald case: Court reserves order on ED chargesheet cognisance

A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order on taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. Special Judge Vishal Gogne said the matter will be heard on July 29. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, as well as Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering over the fraudulent takeover of Rs 2,000 crore worth properties belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper. ED alleges that Gandhis held the majority 76 per cent shares in Young Indian, which fraudulently usurped the assets of AJL in exchange for a Rs 90 crore loan. The chargesheet names Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd.

Robert Vadra appears before ED in Sanjay Bhandari money laundering case

Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Monday for his questioning in connection with the UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari linked money laundering case, official sources said. The businessman's statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The 56-year-old Vadra was called by the agency to depose last month but he had sought deferment of his summons as he had to travel abroad. He is being investigated by the central probe agency in three different money laundering cases, including this one. The two others pertain to alleged irregularities in land deals. The 63-year-old Bhandari fled to London in 2016 soon after the Income-Tax department raided him in Delhi. He was recently declared a fugitive economic offender by a Delhi court. A UK court last month refused the Indian government's application seeking permission to appeal in Britain's Supreme Court

ED arrests two people in money-laundering case against Sahara Group

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday said it has arrested two persons, an executive director of Sahara Group chairman's core management team and a long-time associate of the group cum property broker, as part of a money-laundering probe against the Sahara Group and its linked entities. The individuals taken into custody have been identified as Vailaparampil Abraham and Jitendra Prasad Verma, respectively. Abraham played a "key role" in coordinating and facilitating the sale of Sahara Group properties, many of which involved "substantial unaccounted" cash components that were allegedly siphoned off. Verma was "actively involved" in executing several of these property transactions and knowingly assisted in routing large "cash" proceeds generated from these sale transactions, thereby contributing to the concealment and dissipation of the "proceeds of crime", the central agency said in a statement. The ED said it came across "incriminating" evidence, during searches conducted in .

New special PMLA courts to expedite money laundering trials, says ED

The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday said it will be able to "significantly accelerate" trials in money laundering cases with the recent notification of special PMLA courts in various states. "In Telangana, a total of 16 special courts have now been notified, including two for Visakhapatnam. In Rajasthan, the number of such courts has been increased from one (earlier only at Jaipur) to five, including one for Jodhpur," the federal probe agency said in a statement. In Goa, it said, an exclusive special court to initiate trials in criminal cases registered and probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been notified in North Goa. Till now, there was only one such special court for Goa, the ED said. The courts have been notified in those states where the number of such judicial forums were "inadequate" leading to "delays" in trial proceedings, according to the ED. "With the addition of these special courts, the Directorate (ED) will be able to significantly ...

ED raids Haryana firm linked to illegal betting, freezes ₹284 crore assets

ED has frozen ₹284 crore worth of deposits and shares of Haryana-based Probo Media Technologies in a money laundering probe linked to illegal online betting and gambling through its app and website

ED cracks down on opinion trading platform Probo, freezes ₹284.5 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) freezes ₹284.5 crore worth of assets in its crackdown on Probo, an opinion trading platform. The company assures co-operation with ongoing law enforcement inquiries

ED probes 29 actors, influencers under PMLA for promoting betting apps

Actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj reportedly endorsed or appeared in promotional material for apps such as Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, and Lotus365, which violates betting regulations

Delhi HC seeks ED response to Kejriwal's plea in excise policy case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Enforcement Directorate's response on a plea by AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal challenging a sessions court order upholding the summons issued to him in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam in the capital. Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the petition and asked it to file the counter affidavit within six weeks. At the outset, the ED's counsel raised a preliminary objection over the maintainability of the petition and contended that this petition was in the form of second revision petition filed under the garb of a Section 482 (inherent power of high court) CrPC petition, which was not permissible. The high court asked the ED's counsel to mention all his objections, including preliminary objection, in his reply and listed the matter for hearing on September 10. Kejriwal has challenged a special court order dated September 17, 2024, by which his revision petition agains

ED raids in several Punjab, Haryana cities in 'donkey route' case

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches in multiple cities of Punjab and Haryana as part of a money laundering investigation into a 'donkey route' case related to illegal Indian immigrants who were deported by the US this year, official sources said. Offices and houses of suspects and agents in at least 11 cities in the two states -- Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala and Moga in Punjab and Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal in Haryana-- are being raided under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The money laundering case stems from 17 FIRs registered by Punjab and Haryana police departments against the travel/visa agents and middlemen who cheated various persons willing to go to the US illegally, they said. A number of Indians from these two states and few others were deported onboard US military planes in February this year and the agency later recorded the statements of few deportees. These statements and some linked investigation threw up the

ED attaches luxury yacht, properties in Spain in case against OctaFX

This is the second instance when the offshore properties have been attached in this case. Previously, the probing agency attached 19 properties in Spain and other assets worth ₹296 crore

Actor Mahesh Babu served legal notices in ₹34 lakh plot fraud case

Mahesh Babu, who endorsed Sai Surya Developers, has been served legal notices after a Hyderabad-based doctor alleged she was duped of ₹34 lakh in a non-existent plot scam

Insolvency law cannot override PMLA, ED attachment to stay, says NCLAT

Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code cannot override the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said appellate tribunal NCLAT, adding assets of an debt-ridden firm once attached by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and confirmed by competent authority cannot be released for its resolution. Under section 14 of IBC, a moratorium is applied on those assets for the purpose of resolution. However, if the property is alleged to be "proceeds of crime" and is already under adjudication by competent authority under a penal statute, such property cannot be deemed to be part of the freely available resolution estate, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) said. The appellate tribunal held that if there is any attachment by ED under the PMLA, which is "validly made and confirmed, it cannot be undone under IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code). Citing section 238 of IBC, which has an overriding effect over other laws, a three-member NCLAT bench said it "cannot override the PMLA in ...

Court declares arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari 'fugitive economic offender'

Delhi court declares UK-based arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari a fugitive economic offender under FEOA. UK recently denied his extradition to India

ED raids 8 places in J'khand in money laundering case against Yogendra Sao

The raids have been underway since early morning in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh and Ranchi, based on an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), official sources told ANI