Page 4 - Enforcement Directorate

Online betting case: ED to attach assets of some cricketers, actors

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is soon expected to attach assets worth crores of rupees of certain sportspersons and actors under the anti-money laundering law in a case linked to an online betting and gaming platform. Official sources told PTI that an investigation into the case related to a portal, '1xBet', has found that some of these celebrities utilised the endorsement fee paid to them for acquiring a variety of assets which qualified as the "proceeds of crime" under the anti-money laundering law. The federal probe agency is expected to soon issue a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these movable and immovable properties, including some located abroad in countries like the UAE. The quantification and valuation of these assets is currently underway. The properties acquired or created from the funds generated out of money laundering are categorised as proceeds of crime, and they are attached so that the persons who indulg

Kerala HC upholds stay on commission to probe ED role in gold smuggling

The Kerala High Court on Friday upheld its 2021 single judge decision to stay a state government order appointing a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to examine any alleged attempt by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to implicate Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the gold smuggling through diplomatic channels case. A bench of Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Syam Kumar V M said there was no error in the single judge's August 11, 2021, interim order. The bench's ruling came while dismissing the Kerala government's appeal challenging the single judge's order. "The Writ Appeal, being bereft of merit and substance, is hereby dismissed. The interim order dated August 11, 2021, passed by the single judge is affirmed," the bench said. The single judge's order had come on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking to quash the state government's notification regarding the appointment of the CoI. The bench also said the issue of the state government's legislative competence to

Actor Sonu Sood appears before ED in betting app linked PMLA case

Actor Sonu Sood on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said. Sood (52) reached the agency's office in central Delhi around 12 noon. The investigating officer of the case will question the actor and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Some female social media influencers have also been questioned by the agency as part of this investigation. The probe into the operations of the 1xBet betting app is part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people of crores of rupees and reportedly evading a huge amount of direct

ED questions cricketer Yuvraj Singh for over 7 hours in betting app case

Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said. Singh (43), wearing a white T-shirt and pant, reached the agency's office in central Delhi around 12 noon accompanied by his legal team. The investigating officer of the case questioned the all-rounder and left-hand batter and recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. An influencer named Anveshi Jain also appeared before the ED for questioning in the same case. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan and Robin Uthappa apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Actor Sonu Sood has been summoned for Wednesday by the ED in the same case. The investigation into the operations of the 1xBet betti

Chhattisgarh NAN 'scam': ED gets 4-week custody of 2 ex-IAS officers

A special court here has sent former IAS officers Alok Shukla and Anil Tuteja in the Enforcement Directorate's custody for four weeks in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam. The duo surrendered before the court of Special Judge (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) Damarudhar Chouhan, following which they were formally arrested by the ED on Monday and produced before the court. "The special court has granted their custodial remand to the ED for four weeks. The two will be taken to Delhi for interrogation," ED's lawyer Saurabh Kumar Pande told PTI. Last week, the Supreme Court set aside the anticipatory bail granted to Shukla (65) and Tuteja (62). It allowed ED to take their custody for a period of four weeks, after which both were to be released "if not required in any other case, subject to the terms and conditions that may be imposed by the trial court". The apex court had granted the duo one week to surrender. As per the custodial remand

ED records statement of ex-cricketer Robin Uthappa in 1xBet betting probe

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa for over eight hours and recorded his statement in a money laundering case linked to online betting app 1xBet, officials said. Uthappa (39) reached the agency's office here around 11 am and left around 7:30 pm. The cricketer was questioned and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case, the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood have been summoned for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively by the ED in the same case. The investigation into the operations of the 1xBet betting app is part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people of crores of rupees and ...

ED attaches Dubai assets, India deposits worth ₹307 cr in betting case

Land, villas and flats in Dubai and bank deposits in India worth Rs 307 crore have been attached under the anti-money laundering law in an online betting and broadcasting case linked to a platform named Fairplay, the ED said on Monday. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Cyber wing of the Mumbai Police. The complaint was registered on the basis of a communication sent by Viacom18 Media against Fairplay and others, alleging revenue loss of more than Rs 100 crore to the former company due to violation of the Information Technology (IT) and Copyright Act. Subsequently, many other FIRs against various entities, including Fairplay and its associates, for "illegal" online betting were tagged together for investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. A provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 19 to attach land, villas and flats located in Dubai and bank deposits kept in India. These properties

Delhi ex-banker duped of ₹23 cr after month-long 'digital arrest' scam

Cyber fraudsters posing as ED and CBI officials duped a retired banker in south Delhi's Gulmohar Park area of Rs 23 crore by allegedly putting him under "digital arrest" for nearly a month, police said on Monday. The accused allegedly told the victim that his Aadhaar card was involved in narcotics trafficking, terror funding and Pulwama terror attack and confined him to his flat under the pretext of investigation, an officer said. "The scammers directed him not to step out of his house and coerced him into transferring his savings to various bank accounts over a span of one month," the officer said. According to the police, the 78-year-old victim stated in his complaint that the ordeal began on August 4 when he received a call from a man claiming to be a Mumbai Police officer. The caller accused him of being linked to a drug trafficking racket. Subsequently, fraudsters impersonating ED and CBI officials also contacted him. "Out of fear, the victim complied with their instructions

Cricketer Robin Uthappa appears before ED in online betting app case

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app, officials said. Uthappa (39) reached the agency's office here around 11 am. The ED will question him and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case linked to a platform named 1xBet, the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood have been summoned for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively by the ED in the same case. The probe pertains to the operations of the 1xBet betting app as part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees and reportedly evadin

ED searches Himachal aerospace, realty firm promoters in Fema case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday said it has conducted searches against the promoters of a Himachal Pradesh-based company engaged in aerospace and real estate sectors as part of a foreign exchange violation probe linked to alleged undisclosed foreign assets. The action was undertaken on September 19-20 at six premises located in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh belonging to Manavinder Singh, his wife Sagri Singh and linked entities of the Imperial Group. The action was undertaken under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in a probe related to "undisclosed" assets, investments and financial interests of the promoters held outside India, the agency said in a statement. The ED said it has seized financial statements and records apart from foreign bank account pass books during the searches and it was estimated that the value of these assets, located in Singapore, Dubai, British Virgin Islands and Thailand, was more than Rs 80 crore. It claimed to have found alleged secret .

ED raids Sasikala, others in ₹200 cr bank fraud, benami assets probe

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches in Chennai and Hyderabad as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged Rs 200 crore bank fraud and benami assets probe against Sasikala, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, and some others, officials said. At least ten premises in the two cities linked to a person named GRK Reddy, related to the Marg group and an alleged benami of Sasikala, are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA, they said. The probe is related to a Rs 200 crore alleged bank fraud in which the CBI had filed an FIR, they said.

ED raids 13 premises of B C Jindal Group over FEMA violation charges

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches against the B C Jindal Group of companies on charges of violation of the foreign exchange law, official sources said. They said at least 13 premises of the directors and officials of the group located in Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad are being searched under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The ED is investigating suspected FEMA violations by the group entities of the company such as Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd. and Jindal India Powertech Ltd. for its overseas investments and parking of funds in their overseas entities, the sources said. The company could not be contacted immediately for comment on the ED action. The business conglomerate has recorded an annual turnover of over Rs 18,000 crore and is a major player in the power sector.

Sahara Group disposed of assets in 'secret' cash deals, says ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday alleged that a number of Sahara Group assets, which were acquired out of the deposits collected from the public, were being disposed of in a "clandestine" manner via cash transactions. The federal probe agency filed a chargesheet in the matter before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata on September 6. It named Anil V Abraham and Jitendra Prasad Verma, both arrested in the case by the ED and presently lodged in jail under judicial custody, as accused in the matter. Abraham was an executive director of Sahara Group's core management team while Verma, a property broker, served as a long-time associate of the group, the agency said. "It has been revealed that many properties of the Sahara Group, which were acquired out of the deposits collected from the public, were being disposed of in a clandestine manner involving huge cash transactions. "During investigation, it has been established that Abraham and Verma

ED summons Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood in online betting money laundering case

Former cricketer Robin Uthappa has also been called for questioning on September 22 in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act case linked to 1xBet

Betting app PMLA case: Former TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty appears before ED

Former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty on Monday appeared before the ED for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged illegal betting app, officials said. The statement of Chakraborty, 36, is being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case related to an "illegal" betting app named 1xBet. The ex-MP and actor is understood to be linked to the app through certain endorsements and financial transactions. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) wants to understand her links with this app during the questioning. The agency is probing multiple such cases involving illegal betting apps that are alleged to have duped numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees or have evaded a huge amount of taxes. Former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan have been questioned by the federal probe agency in this case earlier. Actor Urvashi Rautela, 31, has been asked to depose on Tuesday in this case by the ED. Rautela is 1xBet's Indian ...

ED conducts raids across multiple states in ₹650 crore fake ITC case

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted multi-state searches in a money laundering case linked to alleged fake GST input tax credit claim of Rs 650 crore, official sources said. The raids were being carried out at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Telangana by the Guwahati office of the federal probe agency, sources said. The action is being undertaken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, they said.

ED registers fresh case against Anil Ambani, RCom in alleged SBI fraud

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has widened its ongoing money-laundering probe against the group companies of Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani, with the registration of a fresh case against Reliance Communication Limited (RCom) for an alleged Rs 2,929 crore loan fraud with the SBI, official sources said. An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent for a police FIR, has recently been filed by the federal probe agency, taking cognisance of a CBI complaint registered on August 21, the sources said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches at the premises ofom and the residence of Ambani in Mumbai on August 23 as part of this SBI-linked investigation. The accused in the latest ED case are the same as in the CBI FIR, which includedom-Mumbai, its director Anil D Ambani, unidentified public servants and others on the basis of a complaint from the State Bank of India (SBI). The money-laundering investigation has been enlarged to look into all

ED summons Bikaji Foods MD in Rajasthan Premier League investigation

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Bikaji Foods managing director in connection with the investigation into the Rajasthan Premier League, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday. Bikaji Foods International in the regulatory filing assured to "fully co-operate and assist" the authority in the probe. The matter relates to an ongoing investigation into the Rajasthan Premier League, organised by the Rajasthan Cricket Association. "... the company has received a summons from Directorate of Enforcement, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, seeking the presentation of Managing Director in-person, on behalf of the Company before the Authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (referred as the "PMLA")," said Bikaji Foods. It further also stressed that "to the best knowledge of the company, we as an entity is not under any default in connection with this matter and also, the company will fully co-operate and assist the authority during the proceedings". Bikaji

ED attaches fresh ₹186 crore assets in bank fraud case against DHFL

Fresh assets worth about Rs 186 crore have been attached under the anti-money laundering law in an alleged bank loan fraud case against the Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) and its promoters, the ED said on Tuesday. The assets provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) include 154 flats and movable assets in the form of receivables pertaining to 20 flats in Mumbai, the federal probe agency said in a statement. The total value of the attached properties is Rs 185.84 crore. An order was issued under the PMLA by the Mumbai zonal office of the agency on September 5, it said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case stems from a CBI FIR against DHFL, its promoters Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan, and others for allegedly cheating a consortium of 17 banks led by the Union Bank of India. The accused were involved in "siphoning off" and "misappropriation" of bank loan funds by "falsifying" the books of the DHFL and linked default of the bank ...

ED raids multiple sites in West Bengal over sand smuggling racket

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday launched a series of coordinated raids in various locations of West Bengal, including Kolkata, targeting individuals and businesses that were found to be allegedly involved in a sand smuggling racket, a senior official said. Raids are being carried out in several areas, including Behala, Regent Park, Bidhannagar, and Kalyani, in connection with the scam, he said. The ED officials conducting the raids were accompanied by a large number of personnel of the central security forces. At the centre of the operation was Sheikh Jahirul, a prominent figure in the racket in Jhargram district of West Bengal. ED sleuths were conducting searches at his sprawling residence near Subarnarekha River in Gopiballavpur, he added. "Searches are underway at Jahirul's residence, office and vehicles. He is accused of being heavily involved in the illegal sand extraction and trade business," the official said. Incidentally, Jahirul, who owns several sand mines, h