Page 34 - Enforcement Directorate

Supreme Court tells ED it may consider giving Kejriwal bail due to polls

Supreme Court asks Enforcement Directorate's lawyer to be ready to address this issue when the case is heard on May 7

ED attaches assets worth Rs 205 crore in Chhattisgarh liquor scam

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached assets worth over Rs 205 crore of retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja, the elder brother of the Raipur Mayor and some others in a money laundering probe linked to an alleged liquor scam in the state. The attached properties include 14 assets of Tuteja worth Rs 15.82 crore, 115 properties of Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Aijaz Dhebar, worth of Rs 116.16 crore, properties in respect of Vikash Agarwal alias Subbu worth Rs 1.54 crore and 33 properties in respect of Arvind Singh worth Rs 12.99 crore, the agency said in a statement. A property of Arunpati Tripathi, an Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer and special secretary of the excise department, worth Rs 1.35 crore, nine properties of Trilok Singh Dhillon worth Rs 28.13 crore, jewellery worth Rs 27.96 crore of Naveen Kedia and movable properties worth Rs 1.2 crore of Asheesh Saurabh Kedia/Dishita Ventures Pvt. Ltd. have been ...

Jharkhand HC quashes Hemant Soren's writ petition challenging ED arrest

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday dismissed jailed former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's writ petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and denied bail to him. The court, however, allowed him to attend his uncle's last rites on May 6 under police custody. Soren, through the petition earlier, had challenged his arrest by the ED. The court had kept the order reserved in the case on February 28. The court of Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay has directed that he (Soren) can attend the last rites of his uncle in police custody. Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He is at present in judicial custody and lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi. Soren was sent to the Birsa Munda Central Jail on February 15 after his 13-day custody of the ED.

Hemant Soren gets bail for uncle's funeral, criminal writ petition rejected

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday granted provisional bail to former chief minister Hemant Soren to attend the funeral of his uncle Rajaram

ED intended to arrest CM Kejriwal from day 1, says AAP minister Atishi

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday claimed that Amit Shah in an interview made it clear that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED under a conspiracy. Addressing a press conference, party leader Atishi alleged that Union Home Minister Shah in an interview with a news channel made it clear that the Enforcement Directorate intended to arrest Kejriwal from the very first time it sent him a summons. "Since the day Kejriwal started getting ED summons, AAP openly said that this was a conspiracy to arrest him," Atishi said. The Delhi minister said these were not ED, but "BJP summonses." "Even then BJP spokespersons used to say that ED is an independent investigation agency and they have nothing to do with the summons," she said. She alleged that the BJP is afraid of Kejriwal for he can expose the 10 years of its misrule. "Amit Shah himself said that the BJP-ruled central government and their ED had the intention from the very first day to arrest Shri Arvind Kejriwal and

ED opposes bail to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal; HC decision on May 6

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday opposed the interim medical bail sought by Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in a money laundering case and said his stay at a private hospital could be extended for a month. Goyal has sought interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds, citing that both he and his wife, Anita Goyal, suffered from cancer. On Friday, a single bench of Justice N J Jamadar said it would pass orders on May 6. A special court had in February refused bail to Goyal but permitted him to be admitted to a private hospital of his choice and seek medical treatment. Goyal had last week moved the high court seeking interim bail on merits and release on medical grounds. While Goyal's counsel, Harish Salve, urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds, the ED's counsel, Hiten Venegaonkar, vehemently opposed the bail and said the probe agency did not have a problem if his hospitalisation was extended. Before closing the matter for orders, Justice Jamad

Excise policy 'scam': HC asks CBI, ED to reply to Sisodia's pleas for bail

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response of the CBI and ED on former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's pleas seeking bail in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged in relation to the alleged excise policy scam. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sisodia's pleas challenging a trial court's April 30 order by which his bail petitions were dismissed. The high court listed the matter for further hearing on May 8. Sisodia, in an interim application, urged the court to continue the trial court's order allowing him to meet his ailing wife once a week in custody, during pendency of his pleas. As the counsel for the ED submitted that the probe agency has no objection if the trial court order is continued, Justice Sharma allowed the request. The trial court had dismissed Sisodia's bail pleas in the corruption and money-laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED respectively in ..

HC says 'it trusts EC' to take steps to stop deepfake videos' circulation

The ECI told Delhi high court that the videos of Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Aamir Khan, and Ranveer Singh, referred to in the petition, have been taken down and criminal complaints have been filed

ED not above the law: Delhi court slams agency for 'high handed act'

A Delhi court admonished the Enforcement Directorate for 'overstepping' its bounds by recording statements of doctors of private hospitals

ED files fresh chargesheet in Mahadev betting app case, names 25 accused

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed a fresh charge sheet in the Mahadev betting app-linked money laundering case, in which various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. A total of 25 individuals and entities have been named as accused in the third prosecution complaint filed in this case before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, ED lawyer Saurabh Pandey said. The court is expected to take cognisance of the charge sheet on May 4, he said. Those arraigned in the charge sheet include Girish Talreja and Suraj Chokhani, who were arrested by the ED in this case sometime back, apart from some others. Talreja held a stake in 'Lotus365', a sister concern of Mahadev Online Book (MOB) app. He is a partner along with Ratan Lal Jain alias Aman and Sourabh Chandrakar, the main promoter of MOB, in the illegal operations of 'Lotus365', the agency had alleged earlier. The agency had raided Kolkata premises of

ED seizes funds worth Rs 90 crore kept in Binance, ZebPay, WazirX wallets

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has taken possession of funds worth Rs 90 crore, kept in cryptocurrency wallets of exchanges like Binance, ZebPay and WazirX, as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an online gaming app "scam". "These crypto assets were subsequently taken into possession and transferred into the crypto wallet of the ED," the federal agency said in a statement. The investigation pertains to an online gaming scam app "scam" called 'E-Nugget' that masqueraded as a gaming platform and "promised" users high returns on their investments. An FIR filed at the Park Street Police Station of Kolkata became the basis of the ED case that was registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The app offered a series of enticing games designed for real-money wagering promised users hefty commissions and painted a picture of a "golden investment" opportunity, the ED said. However, this facade quickly fell apart once ...

Supreme Court questions timing of Kejriwal's arrest; ED asked to explain

'Liberty is very exceedingly important, you can't deny that,' said Supreme Court to the Enforcement Directorate on Delhi CM Arvind Kejirwal's arrest

Kejriwal's may stay CM despite arrest but students should not suffer: HC

The Delhi High Court on Monday said the decision of Arvind Kejriwal to continue as the Chief Minister after his arrest is "personal" but it does not mean that the fundamental rights of school-going children would be trampled upon. The high court also said that Kejriwal's absence cannot allow students to go through the first term without free text books, writing material and uniform in MCD schools. The high court said that a chief minister's post in any state, leave alone a buzzing capital city like Delhi, is not a ceremonial post and it is a post where the office holder has to be virtually available 24*7 to deal with any crisis or natural disaster like flooding, fire and disease. "National interest and public interest demands that no person who holds this post is incommunicado or absent for a long stretch of time or for an uncertain period of time. To say that no important decision can be taken during a model code of conduct is a misnomer," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan a

Mahadev app case: Tamannaah Bhatia seeks time to reply to ED summons

The case pertains to the alleged unauthorized broadcasting of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on the Fairplay app, a subsidiary of Mahadev's online gaming and betting platform.

SC adjourns former Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji bail plea till May 6

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned till May 6 the hearing on the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last year in connection with a money laundering case. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan deferred the matter after a lawyer appearing for the agency sought an adjournment saying Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was not available. The lawyer told the bench that they have filed their reply in the matter. Senior advocate Aryama Sundaram, appearing for Balaji, urged the bench to hear the matter and contended that he had been inside jail for 320 days. The bench said it has not gone through ED's reply in the case and posted the matter for hearing on May 6. The top court on April 1 sought a response from the ED on Balaji's bail plea while issuing notice to the agency. Dismissing the bail petition, the Madras High Court on February 28 said if he is let out on bail in a case of this nature, it will send a wrong s

ED summons AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan again on Apr 29 in Delhi Waqf case

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has been asked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to depose again next week in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship, officials sources said on Saturday. The MLA has been asked to appear on April 29 and continue with the recording of his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The 50-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from the Okhla assembly seat was questioned by the central agency for about 13 hours last week. In a related development, a Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to Khan in this money laundering case for allegedly evading its earlier summons issued to him in the case. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra granted bail to Khan on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 and one surety of like amount after he appeared before the court. AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi had earlier said that

Delhi liquor policy case: Kejriwal files response to ED's affidavit in SC

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday told the Supreme Court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has acted in a "most highhanded manner" in a money-laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. In a rejoinder to the ED's reply affidavit filed on his petition challenging his arrest in the case, Kejriwal said he has always cooperated with the investigation. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said the ED, in its reply affidavit filed in the apex court, has said that one of the reasons which necessitated his arrest was that he did not remain present before the investigating officer (IO) despite being summoned nine times. Kejriwal said the ED has said in its reply that in such a case, the IO was justified in forming an opinion that custodial interrogation would lead to "a qualitatively more elicitation orientated" questioning of the accused. "The aforementioned tenor, text and contents of the reply leave no manner of doubt that the ED has acted in a most ...

ED arrests Uttarakhand man in international drugs trafficking case

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday arrested a man from Uttarakhand in a money laundering case linked to dark web-assisted international drugs trafficking, official sources said. The agency's action came after US anti-narcotics authorities sought India's assistance to unearth the racket. Parvinder Singh was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) from Haldwani city, the sources said. The federal anti-money laundering agency had raided Singh's premises on Friday and arrested him after a brief round of questioning, they said. It is alleged that Singh ran an international drugs trafficking group called "The Singh Organisation" and narcotics were sold using links of the dark web, the sources said. They claimed that funds were collected through cryptocurrency.

AAP holds demonstration in East Delhi against CM Kejriwal's arrest

AAP workers held a demonstration at Laxmi Nagar here against the arrest of party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ahead of his wife Sunita Kejriwal's maiden Lok Sabha poll roadshow in East Delhi on Saturday. The demonstration was organised near a foot-over bridge in the East Delhi area as part of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se" campaign. AAP's East Delhi Lok Sabha poll candidate Kuldeep Kumar, for whom Sunita Kejriwal will be campaigning on Saturday, told PTI Videos that the people of Delhi are ready to give a befitting reply to the "dictatorship that the BJP has shown" and the arrest of Kejriwal. AAP workers holding placards raised the slogan 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' at the demonstration led by Kumar. Chief Minister Kejriwal, currently lodged at the Tihar jail, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Sunita Kejriwal will be spearheading the AAP's Lok

AAP major beneficiary of proceeds generated in excise scam: ED tells SC

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the "kingpin and key conspirator" of the excise policy scam and the arrest of a person for an offence based on material can never violate the concept of free and fair elections, the ED has told the Supreme Court. The Enforcement Directorate claimed that Kejriwal worked in collusion with his ministers and AAP leaders and was also involved in demanding kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange for favours granted in the policy. "Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of NCT of Delhi is the kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi excise scam in collusion with ministers of the Delhi govt, AAP leaders and other persons," the agency said in its 734-page reply affidavit. "Arvind Kejriwal was involved in the conspiracy of formulation of the excise policy 2021-22 to favour certain persons and also involved in the demanding kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange for favours granted in the said policy," it said. The ED said there are no different .