Page 20 - Enforcement Directorate

Delhi cyberfrauds siphoned Rs 4,900 cr cyber crime money abroad: ED

The Enforcement Directorate Thursday said two Delhi-based "cyber criminals" siphoned off more than Rs 4,900 crore abroad by "misusing" special economic zone (SEZ) facilities. The two accused -- Punit Kumar alias Puneet Maheshwari alias John, a resident of Moti Nagar area, and Ashish Kakkar alias Pablo, a resident of Greater Kailash -- were arrested by the federal agency last year as part of this investigation. On January 17, ED in a statement said a provisional order was issued to attach nine residential flats in Delhi and a parcel of agricultural land in Rewari, Haryana, in the name of the two people and their families. The ED said it got on to the case after taking cognisance of multiple police FIRs registered across the country against people involved in crimes like online gaming fraud, multi-level marketing schemes and investment scams, including part-time job frauds, online shopping and fake loans disbursal frauds through mobile apps. These "scams" were perpetrated through ...

'Must follow law, not harass citizens': Bombay HC fines ED Rs 1 lakh

The Bombay High Court has fined the Enforcement Directorate Rs 1 lakh for baseless money-laundering probe against a realtor. It has also penalised the complainant for malafide intent

Dissenting voices mar BJP's campaign against Siddaramaiah after ED action

Dissenting voices in the BJP marred the party's efforts on Saturday to gear up for a decisive fight against the Congress government in Karnataka, following the ED's confirmation about the MUDA site-allotment scam, in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife, Parvathi B M, are among the accused. Two dissident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs -- Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi -- launched a verbal attack on state party chief B Y Vijayendra, questioning his leadership quality and "antecedents". "People talk of squabbling in the BJP but we do not have any internal fight. Our fight is only against the party president. We are happy both ways -- whether the president is changed or not," Jarkiholi said during a party event at Ankalgavi village in Gokak taluk of Belagavi district., "You (Vijayendra) are still a child, you are not fit to be the state president," the MLA from Gokak said. He, however, clarified that Vijayendra's father and former chief minister B S ...

ED attaches Rs 300 cr assets in MUDA-linked money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached more than 140 units of immovable assets worth about Rs 300 crore in a MUDA-linked money laundering case involving Karnataka Chief Minster Siddaramaiah and others. The attachment is part of a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in land allotment by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The attached properties are registered in the name of various individuals who are working as real-estate businessmen and agents, the federal agency said in a statement. "It is alleged that Siddaramaiah used his political influence to get compensation for 14 sites in the name of his wife Smt. BM Parvathi in lieu of 3 acres 16 guntas of land acquired by MUDA "The land was originally acquired by MUDA for Rs 3,24,700. The compensation in the form of 14 sites at posh locality is worth Rs 56 crore." it alleged. The role of ex-MUDA commissioner D B Natesh has emerged as "instrumental" in the illegal allotment of compensation site

Delhi HC to hear ED plea against Arvind Kejriwal's bail on March 21

The Delhi High Court on Friday set March 21 to hear the enforcement directorate's plea against the bail granted to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. Justice Vikas Mahajan adjourned Friday's hearing on the request of the enforcement directorate's (ED) counsel. The senior counsel representing Kejriwal opposed the request for adjournment saying ED repeatedly took dates in the past several months. He urged the court to hear the matter and grant bail to Kejriwal saying other accused were granted bail in the money laundering case. "There is an impending election. Why should this sword be hanging over him? If bail is well given to all 15 accused, why should it be kept pending for him?" asked Kejriwal's counsel. The ED counsel said no prejudice was caused to Kejriwal on account of the adjournments as he was already on interim bail granted by the Supreme Court in the matter. "I will set it down for hearing.. No prejudice is caused to

ED attaches assets worth over Rs 200 crore in Sri Lanka under PMLA probe

The Enforcement Directorate Thursday said it has attached an under-construction luxury hotel in Colombo's prime area and some other assets worth more than Rs 200 crore as part of a money laundering probe linked to a Gurugram-based realty company which is alleged to have duped homebuyers. The company named Krrish Realtech Private Limited is promoted by businessman Amit Katyal, who is believed to be a close associate of the family of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Katyal was arrested by the central agency in 2023 in a separate money laundering case related to the railways alleged land-for-jobs scam involving Prasad and his family. The ED said in a statement that it has issued an order to provisionally attach an under-construction luxury hotel and leasehold rights over 4 acres of land in the "Colombo 1" area of Sri Lanka apart from land rights for about 2.82 acres of Vicinity Hotels Pvt. Ltd., in the name of Good Earth Business Park Pvt. Ltd. located at Sector-66 in Gurugram. The money ...

SC criticises ED over bail conditions for women in money laundering cases

The Supreme Court has strongly criticised the Enforcement Directorate for submitting that rigorous bail conditions in money laundering cases will apply to women despite a statutory exception explicitly provided under the law. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, while hearing the bail plea of Shashi Bala, a government school teacher accused in a money laundering scam involving the Shine City Group of Companies, called the ED's submissions "contrary to statute" and emphasised that such arguments would not be tolerated. "We will not tolerate conduct... to make submissions contrary to statute," the bench said and granted bail to Bala in the case, saying she had been in custody since November 2023 and there was little likelihood of her trial concluding anytime soon. "If people who appear for the Union of India do not know basic provisions of law, why should they appear in the matter," the bench said on Wednesday. The ED argued that the stringent bail ...

Formula-E race case: BRS leader KTR appears before ED for questioning

BRS working president K T Rama Rao on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here for questioning in a money laundering case related to the Formula-E race event. Rao, who was the Municipal Administration Minister in the previous BRS regime, said hosting Formula E race in Hyderabad remains one of his most cherished decisions as a minister. Ahead of his appearance before the ED, Rao in a post on 'X' said : "no amount of frivolous cases, cheap mudslinging, or political witch-hunting can erase that sense of accomplishment." The BRS leader claimed even though there is no wrongdoing, driven by "malice and political vendetta", the ruling Congress government in Telangana is hell-bent on dragging these well-documented events through the courts and investigating agencies. Rao, popularly known as KTR, was earlier issued summons to appear before the ED on January 7. However, he had requested two weeks and was subsequently given a new date to appear on January 16. Accordingly, he

ED attaches assets worth Rs 100 cr in case against TN MLA Vaithilingam

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 100 crore as part of a money laundering investigation against former AIADMK minister and serving MLA R Vaithilingam and some others. The two immovable properties are located in Tiruchirappalli and are registered in the name of Muthammal Estates Pvt Ltd, a family-owned entity, the federal agency claimed in a statement. Vaithiyalingam, a close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), represents the Orathanadu seat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. He was expelled along with OPS from the AIADMK in 2022 during the leadership tussle involving OPS and incumbent party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. He has been a former minister for housing and urban development. The money laundering case of the ED is based on an FIR filed by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) where it was alleged that "R Vaithilingam, during his tenure, accepted a bribe of Rs 27.90 crore

ED gets nod to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi excise policy case

The Union Home Ministry has cleared the ED to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal over alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, with charges linking him to a Rs 100 crore bribe

ED gets MHA sanction to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case

The Union Home Ministry has granted sanction to the Enforcement Directorate to prosecute former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy linked money laundering case, officials said. The federal agency has filed a chargesheet against the 56-year-old politician before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here last year after arresting him in March. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently granted the required sanction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for prosecuting Kejriwal under the anti-money laundering law in the Delhi excise policy case, officials said. The development comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly on February 5. Kejriwal has been made made an accused in his personal capacity as well as in the capacity of being the national convenor of his political party AAP. The former chief minister was called the "kingpin and key conspirator" of the Delhi excise "scam" by the ED. It was alleged that he acted in

Probe agencies left red-faced with court orders on 'illegal' arrests

A series of court orders here recently directing for the release of accused citing "illegal arrest" have come as a setback for probe agencies, with prosecution lawyers calling for a balanced approach while defence counsels insist on following norms. In most of these cases, the arrests were without "application of mind," a defence counsel claimed, while the prosecution lawyers batted for victims' rights. In December 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested six persons, including two IRS officers, in a bribery case, but a special court here denied the CBI custody of the accused after finding their arrest as "illegal" and ordered their immediate release. Over the last six months, several remand pleas of probe agencies, such as CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and local police, in courts here have met the same fate. In most cases, the defence's submission was centred around the probe agencies not following the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita provisions, like not maintaini

ED raids promoters of Tadoba Andhari tiger safari over alleged fraud

The Enforcement Directorate Friday said it has conducted searches against the promoters of a company that collects safari fee at a tiger reserve in Maharashtra for alleged fraud of Rs 12 crore with the state government. The raids were carried out between January 8 and 9 at seven premises in the adjoining districts of Chandrapur and Nagpur related to Abhishek Vinodkumar Thakur and Rohit Vinodkumar Thakur, owners of the company named Wild Connectivity Solutions (WCS), and their related entities, the federal agency said in a statement. WCS was engaged by the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, through a service-level agreement of December 2021, to provide uninterrupted services to visitors, including collecting entry fees, gypsy charges and guide charges, the ED said. "However, the company owners (Abhishek Vinodkumar Thakur and Rohit Vinodkumar Thakur) violated the terms of the agreement and cheated the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Conservation Foundation to the extent of Rs 12.15 crore duri

Court cites several key fundamental lapses in arrest of ED official by CBI

A special court here has pointed out several critical fundamental lapses in the arrest of an ED official by the Central Bureau of Investigation over alleged bribery after ordering his immediate release. Rejecting the CBI's plea for transit remand of Vishal Deep, assistant director of Enforcement Directorate's Shimla unit, special judge B Y Phad has said that the allegations against him are not well founded. The CBI's Chandigarh unit arrested Deep from Mumbai on Tuesday on corruption charges stemming from the ED's probe against Himalayan group of professional institutions. The CBI claimed Deep demanded Rs 1.1 crore bribe from Himalayan group of professional institutions chairman Rajnish Bansal for not arresting him in a money laundering case being probed by the ED. The court gave the relief to Deep on Wednesday and a detailed copy of the order was made available subsequently. In his order, the special judge noted that the prosecution's failure to produce the case diary shakes its .

ED raids RJD MLA, others in Bihar cooperative bank 'fraud' PMLA case

The Enforcement Directorate Friday conducted searches in multiple states, including in Bihar on premises liked to an RJD MLA, as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged funds embezzlement at a state cooperative bank, official sources said. About 18 premises in Bihar, West Bengal (Kolkata), Uttar Pradesh and Delhi are being searched, they said. These include premises linked to RJD MLA and former Bihar minister Alok Kumar Mehta (58) who is the promoter of the Bihar-based Vaishali Shahri Vikas (VSV) Cooperative Bank apart from some other linked entities, the sources said. The money laundering investigation stems from some state police FIRs filed against the bank and its office-bearers for alleged embezzlement of funds worth about Rs 85 crore, they said. The RBI had carried out a verification of the bank and identified the alleged diversion of the bank funds, the sources said. Mehta is an MLA from the Ujiarpur seat of Bihar and is a senior politician of the Lalu

ED raids in BBMP an outcome of squabbling in BJP: Deputy CM Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the ED raids in the 'Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike' was an outcome of infighting in the BJP. The ED on Tuesday searched the offices of Engineer-in-Chief B S Prahlad and other engineers in the BBMP in connection with the borewells and Reverse Osmosis plants in the areas where Cauvery water connection has not been provided, sources in civic agency said. The raids were based on a complaint by a BJP leader and former BBMP Councillor N R Ramesh to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. The ACB later referred the case to the ED. "It's an internal fight in the BJP. A BJP leader had given a complaint against his own party MLAs because he was denied a ticket (to contest assembly election)," Shivakumar told reporters here. He said he had instructed the BBMP officials about one and a half years ago to be prepared for the possible raids and provide whatever documents the ED officials would ask for. "We will cooperate with them. There

Six fraudsters posing as ED officials loot Rs 30 lakh in Karnataka

A group of six unidentified individuals, posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), allegedly raided a house in Bantwal town, Dakshina Kannada district, and fled with nearly Rs 30 lakh in cash, along with five mobile phones, police said on Saturday. The incident took place on the night of January 3. According to the complaint lodged by Mohammad Iqbal (27), a resident of Kolnadu and an agriculturist, the accused arrived at his residence at around 8.10 pm in a vehicle with a Tamil Nadu registration. Introducing themselves as ED officials, they claimed to have orders to search the house. After entering the premises, they confiscated five mobile phones from the family members before searching. "During the inspection, the accused allegedly took away Rs 25-30 lakh in cash that had been kept in a cupboard for business purposes. They reportedly told the family that keeping such a large sum of money at home was not permitted and threatened to arrest Iqbal," a senior police .

SC slams ED for 'inhuman' 15-hour interrogation in illegal mining case

The Supreme Court questioned the Enforcement Directorate's rationale behind the interrogation tactics, while also clarifying that its remarks were limited to bail proceedings, not the case's merits

ED conducts raids in Bengal over Rs 1,000 cr 'cyber fraud' in Tamil Nadu

Sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started conducting raids at eight locations across West Bengal on Thursday in connection with its probe into cyber frauds involving over Rs 1,000 crore in Tamil Nadu, a senior officer said. Raids are underway simultaneously at five places in Park Street, Salt Lake, and Baguihati areas in Kolkata and in three other locations in districts, he said. During the raid in Salt Lake area, the ED sleuths detained a person for questioning, the officer said. "Our officers are now conducting raids at a flat in a high-end residential complex in Baguihati," he told PTI. Several people based in states in eastern India have been found involved in the crime, he added.

ED raids Chhattisgarh Cong MLA Kawasi Lakhma, son in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday conducted raids at the premises of Chhattisgarh Congress MLA and former excise minister Kawasi Lakhma, his son and some others as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged liquor scam in the state, official sources said. They said a total of seven premises -- including Lakhma's residence in Raipur and his son Harish Lakhma's premises in Sukma district apart from that of some linked persons -- are being searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Chhattisgarh Congress alleged the raids were part of a conspiracy by the BJP to harass the opposition party's leaders ahead of urban body and panchayat polls. Lakhma, 71, is a six-time MLA from Konta assembly seat and served as excise minister in the previous Congress government. Harish Lakhma is stated to be a panchayat president in his district. The ED sources said they are investigating allegations made by some "key accused" that Lakhma wa