Page 45 - Enforcement Directorate

Money laundering case: ED raids J'hand Cong MLA Amba Prasad, linked persons

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday carried out searches against Jharkhand Congress MLA Amba Prasad and some others allegedly linked to her as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. About 17-18 premises in Ranchi and some other cities of the state were being covered, the sources said. The 36-year-old legislator represents the Barkagaon assembly seat in Hazaribag district. A clutch of FIRs related to alleged illegal sand mining, extortion and some other crimes have formed the basis of the ED action being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

Sandeshkhali ED attack case: CBI summons close aides of Shahjahan Sheikh

The CBI has summoned nine close aides and associates of suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh to appear before the agency on Monday, officials said. The agency suspects that these nine individuals were allegedly part of the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5 and instigated the crowd to target the team when they went to raid the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal, they said. Sheikh, whose role in the attack is under probe, is under the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) till March 14, the officials said. The CBI has taken over investigation in three cases related to incidents on January 5 when ED officials were attacked by an around 1000-strong mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh in connection with the agency's investigation into an alleged ration distribution scam case, in which a former minister of the state has been arrested. Sheikh was arrested by the state police on February 29, a day after the high cou

BJP govt 'misusing' ED to create fear among Oppn leaders: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was misusing agencies like the Enforcement Directorate to create fear among opposition leaders and called the ED "supporting party" of the BJP. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar cited figures of the ED's actions between 2005 and 2023, claiming it registered 5,806 cases and only 25 of them have been disposed of. "The disposal rate is 0.42 per cent and the conviction rate is just 0.40 per cent. The ED's budget has gone up from Rs 300 crore in 2022 to Rs 404 crore," the former Union minister further claimed. "Between 2005 and 2023, two governments were in power, including the UPA of which we were also a part. During the UPA regime, the ED investigated 26 leaders, of whom five were from the Congress and three from the BJP. It shows that during the UPA regime ED's action was not politically motivated, but after 2014, not a single BJP leader has been questioned," Pawar said. These figures raise a .

Sandeshkhali unrest: Court extends Shajahan Sheikh's CBI custody by 4 days

A court in West Bengal's Basirhat on Sunday extended the CBI custody of Shajahan Sheikh, key accused in a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali, by another four days on a prayer by the central agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation got custody of Sheikh on March 6 along with transfer of investigation on an order of the Calcutta High Court. Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked when they went to raid the now suspended Trinamool Congress leader's premises at Sandeshkhali. The judge of the Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas district granted extension of Sheikh's custody to CBI by four days on a prayer by the central agency. The court directed that Sheikh be produced before it again on March 14. Sheikh was produced before the Basirhat court, around 70 km away from Kolkata where he is in CBI custody, under tight security. ED officials were attacked by an around 1000-strong mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in ...

ED nabs man in Patna in money laundering case linked to illegal sand mining

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Subhash Yadav, a man allegedly linked to the RJD, in Bihar's Patna in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal sand mining, official sources said on Sunday. The premises of Yadav and some others were being searched since Saturday as part of a case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Yadav was arrested late on Saturday night and nearly Rs 2.3 crore cash was seized from various premises, the sources said. Half a dozen premises were searched by the central agency in and around Patna. Yadav is alleged to be involved in sand mining in Bihar and had contested elections on an RJD ticket in the past, according to the sources. The money laundering case stems from some FIRs registered by Bihar Police.

ED raids residence of Subhash Yadav, close aide of RJD supremo Lalu

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday raided multiple locations in Patna as part of an alleged illegal sand mining linked money laundering case, official sources said. The premises of a person identified as Subash Yadav are being searched as part of a case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. About seven premises are being searched by the central agency in and around Patna, they said. Yadav is said to be involved in sand mining in Bihar and has contested election on an RJD ticket earlier, they said. The money laundering case stems from some FIRs filed by the Bihar Police earlier.

ED attaches assets worth Rs 367 crore in Bhushan Steel 'bank fraud' case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has attached immovable assets worth Rs 367 crore in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and some cities in Odisha as part of a money-laundering probe linked to an alleged bank-loan fraud against Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL). A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the assets that were held "in the name of benamidars/shell entities through dummy directors so as to conceal them and to ensure that they are out of the reach of law enforcement agencies", the ED has said in a statement. After completing the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP), BSL was taken over by Tata Steel Limited in 2018. The ED has accused BSL, its managing director Neeraj Singal and associates of forming "several shell companies". "They rotated funds from one company to another through a chain of multiple entities. The funds were circulated to infuse capital, buy property and for other personal purposes not ...

Delhi HC denies default bail to Supertech chairman in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea by R K Arora, the chairman and promoter of real estate major Supertech Group, seeking default bail in a money laundering case. The high court rejected Arora's contention that on the date of filing of the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) the investigation was incomplete as the chargesheet was not accompanied by FSL report and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued summons to another person in the case after filing the prosecution complaint. The respondent (ED) has already submitted the requisite documents for obtaining expert opinion from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Preparation of the FSL report is not in the control of the investigating agency, though it can take steps for expediting the process. It is the categorical stand of the respondent that the investigation against the present petitioner is complete. Mere issuance of summons to another person or seeking leave of the court to file additional evidence, without there

ED raids multiple locations in Kolkata over teacher recruitment scam case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday morning started conducting searches at multiple locations in Kolkata and its neighbouring areas in connection with its probe into the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal, officials said. A five-member ED team was conducting searches at the residence of a former para-teacher, alleged to be a close associate of arrested former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, at Patharghata Mazar Sharif area in New Town adjoining Kolkata, they said. Searches were also underway at the house of an accountant in Nagerbazar area in the northern part of the city, the officials said. ED searches were conducted in Rajarhat area at the residences of some businessmen, teachers, and intermediaries allegedly involved in the scam. The ongoing raids are part of the ED's probe to track the flow of money in the multi-crore scam.

Delhi court summons CM Kejriwal on March 16 after fresh complaint by ED

A Delhi court on Thursday issued summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a fresh complaint by the ED for evading its summonses in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam, saying there were "sufficient grounds" for proceeding against him. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra directed Kejriwal to appear before the court on March 16. The judge passed the order on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) complaint seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for repeatedly evading summonses on January 12 and 31 and February 14. The judge observed that under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the person summoned is bound to comply, and the law enables prosecution of those who don't. Thus, as per the mandate of the Act, the respondent/ proposed accused was legally bound to comply with the summons but allegedly he failed to do so. In view thereof, the complaint accompanied by the supporting documents discloses all the necessary ...

Money Laundering case: ED raids premises of SP MLA Irfan Solanki in Kanpur

The ED on Thursday raided premises linked to Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki and some of his family members in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. The premises of the incarcerated four-time MLA from Sisamau and others are being raided under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA, the Enforcement Directorate sources said. Solanki (44) has been lodged in the Maharajganj prison since December 2022 in connection with several criminal cases. The MLA and his brother Rizwan were arrested for allegedly harassing a woman and setting her house on fire in a bid to grab her plot. They had surrendered before police. Later, police slapped the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act against them and three others.

Court directs CM Kejriwal to appear before it after fresh complaint by ED

A Delhi court on Thursday issued summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a fresh complaint by the ED for allegedly evading its summonses in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra directed Kejriwal to appear before the court on March 16. The Enforcement Directorate filed the complaint before the court on Wednesday, seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for skipping multiple summonses issued to him in the case. The latest complaint pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor not honouring summonses number 4 to 8 sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said. The ED had earlier moved a local court seeking Kejriwal's prosecution for not attending the first three summonses issued to him in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

CBI gets Shajahan Sheikh's custody from CID in ED official attack case

The CBI on Wednesday got the custody of Sandeshkhali ED official attack case accused Shajahan Sheikh from the West Bengal CID, following two orders by the Calcutta High Court to do so on two consecutive days. In a fresh directive on Wednesday, the high court directed the state government to "immediately implement" its Tuesday's judgement to transfer a case on the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at Sandeshkhali to the CBI and hand over custody of the main accused Sheikh to the central agency. A team of CBI officials reached CID headquarters Bhawani Bhawan before 4 PM. But the handover from the state agency took place at around 6:48 PM, despite the Calcutta High Court setting a deadline of 4.15 PM. "Shajahan Sheikh was handed over to CBI," a CID official said. The CID took him to a state-run hospital for a medical check-up before handing him over to the CBI. The CBI officials are likely to take him to an ESI Hospital and then to Nizam Palace, the city office of the

ED files court complaint against Arvind Kejriwal for skipping summonses

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh complaint before a Delhi court seeking prosecution of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for skipping multiple summonses issued to him in a money laundering case, official sources said on Wednesday. The latest complaint pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor not honouring summonses no. 4 to 8 sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra has listed the matter for hearing on Thursday. The ED had earlier moved a local court seeking Kejriwal's prosecution for not attending the first three summonses issued to him in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The court of ACMM Malhotra has listed this matter (regarding summonses no. 1 to 3) for hearing on March 16. Kejriwal, 55, had called all the ED summonses "illegal" and informed the agency last time that

Chargesheet filed against Chinese-origin directors in crypto mining case

A charge-sheet has been filed under the anti-money laundering law against 299 entities, including 10 persons of Chinese origin, in an investigation linked to alleged duping of investors in the name of mining cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins, the Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday. A special court in Dimapur in Nagaland on Tuesday took cognisance of the prosecution complaint filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal agency said in a statement. A total of 299 entities, including 76 Chinese-controlled entities in which 10 directors are of Chinese origin and two controlled by other foreign nationals, have been named as accused, it said. The Enforcement Directorate's (ED) case of money laundering stems from an FIR of the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Kohima Police. The Kohima Police had booked various people under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act for allegedly duping gullible investors by promising astronomical returns by mining ..

HC grants leave to ED to file contempt petition against Bengal govt

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted leave to the ED to file a contempt petition against the West Bengal government over the state police not handing over custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh to the CBI, despite an order to that effect. Appearing for the ED, Deputy Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi prayed for leave to file the contempt petition and sought an urgent hearing of the matter, claiming that it was losing precious time of Sheikh's custody to the CBI. The high court had on Tuesday directed the transfer of investigation to the CBI into a mob attack on ED officials when they went to search the premises of Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe. A division bench comprising justices Harish Tandon and Hiranmay Bhattacharyya granted leave to the ED to file the petition. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Wednesday sought urgent listing of its plea in the Supreme Court challenging the high .

ED attaches assets worth Rs 12 cr of suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh

Ongoing investigations were initiated based on multiple FIRs which include serious offences such as threats of injury, murder, attempt to murder, extortion, and illegal land acquisition

ED seeks details of accused from Pune police in Rs 3,600 cr drug haul

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought details of the persons arrested by Pune police in Maharashtra in the last month's mephedrone drug haul case, a senior official said. The city police in February seized more than 1,700 kilograms of mephedrone, valued at about Rs 3,600 crore in illicit markets, across Pune, Delhi and Sangli. Eleven persons, including the owner of a manufacturing unit in Kurkumbh MIDC (near Pune), where the contraband was allegedly produced, were apprehended. "We received a letter from the ED on Monday, seeking information about the accused. Given the magnitude of the drug racket, it was expected that the ED would seek details," the crime branch official said on Tuesday. The central agency asked for information about the accused, their bank accounts and locations where searches were conducted. "Based on the information, the agency will investigate money trails and suspected hawala transactions involving the accused," he said. The police have arrested 11 per

ED marches on at a stronger footing with better infrastructure, resources

Investigative agency pivots to manpower capabilities and specialised skills

ED attaches Rs 12 cr worth assets of former TMC member Shajahan Sheikh

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has attached over a dozen properties worth Rs 12.78 crore of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh including bank deposits, an apartment, and agricultural and fishery land in Sandeshkhali and Kolkata in West Bengal. A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these assets, the agency said in a statement. A team of ED officials was attacked by a nearly 1,000-strong mob on January 5 when they went to raid Sheikh's house at Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The strongman allegedly has close links with arrested former state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, who is being probed by the federal agency in a money laundering case linked to the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. Sheikh was arrested on February 29 by the West Bengal Police in the ED attack case, 55 days after he went underground following the alleged assault on the ED team. The TM