Page 68 - Enforcement Directorate

HC asks ED to file affidavit on Jet founder plea challenging his arrest

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file its affidavit in response to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal's plea challenging his "illegal" arrest in a money laundering case linked to bank loan default. Goyal, in his plea, claimed his arrest was illegal as it was done without following provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and also challenged orders of a special court which had sent him to the ED custody first and thereafter to jail under judicial remand. When the plea was taken up for hearing on Wednesday by the HC, advocate Hiten Venegaonkar, appearing for the central agency, sought time to file their reply affidavit. Senior counsel Amit Desai, appearing for the 74-year-old businessman, urged the court to grant a short date for hearing and pointed to his client's advanced age. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse then said it has to give the other side time to respond. "He (Goyal) can file .

SC refuses to entertain Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's plea against ED summons

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's plea against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons in a case of alleged money laundering. A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Bela M Trivedi granted Soren the liberty to approach the Jharkhand High Court for relief in the matter. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi claimed in the court that this is a complete case of a witch-hunt. "Mr Rohatgi, why don't you go to the high court? No no, go to the high court. We will permit you to withdraw," the bench said. The matter was dismissed as withdrawn. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, submitted that the issue is covered by a large number of judgments. Soren has moved the apex court challenging the summons sent to him to depose at the federal agency's office in Ranchi on August 14 and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Earlier, Soren had skipped the ED's summons in an alleged defence

ED arrests Anil Kumar Meena, RPSC member Babulal Katara in paper leak case

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Babulal Katara, Member of Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), and Anil Kumar Meena in connection with the Paper Leak case in Rajasthan, officials said Saturday. Katara and Meena were arrested under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act and sent to the custody of ED for three days by a special court, they said. The Directorate had taken over the case filed by Rajasthan Police in connection with the leak of the General Knowledge paper conducted by RPSC for the recruitment of Senior Teacher Grade II between December 21 and 24, 2022. It is alleged that Katara leaked the paper and sold it to Meena who through his syndicate supplied it to candidates for Rs 8-10 lakh, they said. "Earlier, ED conducted a search at 15 premises of accused persons on 05.06.2023, resulting in recovery of incriminating documents/digital records. Further, ED has also provisionally attached movable & immovable properties worth Rs 3.11 Crore (approx)

Jharkhand CM Soren's plea against ED summons to be heard on Sept 18

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to September 18 the hearing on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's plea against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons in an alleged money laundering case. A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi deferred the matter after it was informed that senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi would appear in the matter for Soren. "I am requesting the matter be heard on Monday. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi is leading us," a junior counsel said. The bench agreed to the submission. Soren has moved the apex court challenging the summons sent to him to depose on August 14 at the federal agency's office in Ranchi and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Earlier, Soren had skipped the ED summons in an alleged defence land scam case citing pre-scheduled events. The 48-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was interrogated for over nine hours by the ED on November 17 last year in connection with another money launderin

Delhi excise policy case: ED summons K Kavitha for questioning on Friday

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned BRS leader and the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, K Kavitha, at its Delhi office on Friday for questioning in connection with the excise policy case in the national capital, officials said. Kavitha was questioned several times at the ED headquarters in March and had to submit her mobile phones to the federal agency. It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital. The policy was subsequently scrapped and the Delhi lieutenant governor had recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). During its probe, the ED had recorded the statement of Butchibabu, an accountant allegedly linked to Kavitha, in which he had said "there was ...

Adhir slams Mamata over ED summons to Abhishek in coal 'scam' case

The summons to the TMC MP came weeks after the central probe agency conducted raids in the office of 'Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd'

BJP suffers from Abhishek phobia, TMC claims as leader appears before ED

The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the BJP for allegedly manipulating central probe agencies to meet its political interests and accused it of suffering from "Abhishek phobia" in the backdrop of the ED summoning its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee, considered number 2 in the TMC, on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Kolkata for questioning in connection with its probe into the school jobs scam in West Bengal. "The BJP has been using CBI and ED to serve its political interests. But they can't force us to surrender before them using central agencies. We have faith in the people. The BJP is suffering from Abhishek phobia as they have been unable to fight us politically," TMC MP and spokesperson Santanu Sen told PTI. Banerjee on Sunday posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he has been notified by the central probe agency to appear before it for questioning on September 13, when the first coordination committee meeting of the opposition .

Bigg Boss fame actor Kriti Verma named in ED chargesheet in fraud case

During the investigation, it was discovered that Kriti Verma had sold a property in Gurugram, which was acquired with Rs 1.02 crore of proceeds from the crime

The Rise and Grounding of Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal

On 1st September 2023, Goyal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged money laundering. Watch the video to know about the rise and fall of Naresh Goyal. >

Irregularities in execution of Jal Jeevan Mission: ED seizes cash, gold bar

Unaccounted cash of Rs 2.32 crore and a gold bar worth Rs 64 lakh were seized after searches in multiple cities of Rajasthan in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the execution of the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, the Enforcement Directorate said on Monday. The raids were launched on September 1 at various premises located in state capital Jaipur, Alwar, Neemrana, Behror and Shahpura, it said in a statement The money laundering case stems from a Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau (ACB) FIR which alleged that Padamchand Jain, proprietor of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company, Mahesh Mittal, proprietor of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company and others were involved in "giving bribes" to public servants in order to obtain illegal protection, obtaining tenders, getting bills sanctioned and covering up irregularities in respect of work executed by them in respect of various tenders received by them from the public health and engineering department (PHED). "The suspects .

ED seizes over Rs 65 cr of Venkateshwara Hatcheries in FEMA probe

Nine properties worth more than Rs 65 crore of prominent hatchery company-- Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt Ltd-- have been seized under the foreign exchange law for allegedly making illegal foreign remittances to purchase a 90-acre house in the UK, the Enforcement Directorate said on Monday. The seized assets are located in Maharashtra and Karnataka and the ED case, being probed under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), pertains to these remittances made by the company from 2011 to its wholly-owned subsidiary named Venky's Overseas Limited (VOL), UK. The total value of these properties is Rs 65.53 crore, according to the ED. Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt Ltd (VHPL), the agency said in a statement, had declared the business of VOL to the RBI as agriculture and mining (rearing of ducks, hens etc). After the incorporation of the VOL, the VHPL remitted "huge funds" in the guise of equity infusion. "However, no such business activity was ever initiated by VOL eve

Flying solo into trouble: The rise and fall of Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal

Goyal, who faces accusations of misappropriating Jet Airways' funds, is currently embroiled in a legal struggle with investigative agencies

ED arrests Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in Rs 538 cr bank fraud case

The Enforcement Directorate late Friday night arrested Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in a money laundering case linked to an alleged bank fraud of Rs 538 crore at the Canara Bank, official sources said. He was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following a long session of questioning at the central agency's office here. Goyal, 74, is expected to be produced before a special PMLA court in Mumbai on Saturday where the ED will seek for his custodial remand. The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Jet Airways, Goyal, his wife Anita and some former company executives in connection with an alleged Rs 538-crore fraud case at the Canara Bank. The FIR was registered on the bank's complaint which alleged that it sanctioned credit limits and loans to Jet Airways (India) Ltd (JIL) to the tune of Rs 848.86 crore of which Rs 538.62 crore is outstanding. The CBI had said the account was declared "frau

Rajasthan elections: Corruption is rampant in the judiciary says CM Gehlot

The chief minister alleged that agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax department conduct raids without making prior assessments

ED conducts raids in Rajasthan to probe 'Jal Jeevan Mission' irregularities

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted multi-city searches in Rajasthan as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Centre's 'Jal Jeevan Mission' in the Congress-ruled state, official sources said. A number of premises belonging to engineers, contractors and some former state government officials in Jaipur, Alwar and a few other cities are being searched, they said. The searches are being conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Some documents and gadgets have been recovered till now, the sources said. The money laundering case is understood to have stemmed from a Rajasthan Police FIR. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena had in June alleged a scam of Rs 20,000 crore in the implementation of the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' in Rajasthan. He had alleged that tenders worth Rs 900 crore were issued to two firms based on fake experience certificates in 48 projects of the scheme. "A s

ED attaches FDs of Sree Venkateshwara Industries under PMLA violations

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has attached fixed deposits worth Rs 90 lakh of a Hyderabad-based company in a money laundering case against it linked to alleged dumping of hazardous waste in violation of anti-pollution laws. The action has been taken against the company, Sree Venkateshwara Industries, under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it said in a statement. The money laundering case of the ED stems from a complaint filed by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Cyberabad at Medchal. It was alleged by the board that the company was disposing "hazardous waste material without proper treatment in violation of the prescribed rules and regulations stipulated by the TSPCB under various sections of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act." Sree Venkateshwara Industries and its partners "did not" comply

ED arrests 2 directors of WB firm that duped investors through ponzi scheme

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has arrested two directors of a West Bengal-based company that allegedly ran a ponzi scheme and diverted Rs 1,786 crore worth of public funds. Prabir Kumar Chanda and Pranab Kumar Das, directors of MPS Greenery Developers Limited, were arrested on August 24 and a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata sent them to ED custody till September 1, the central agency said in a statement. MPS Greenery Developers Limited raised funds of about Rs 2,682 crore during 1999-2000 to 2013-2014 from investors through various "fraudulent" income schemes, by issuing agro, orchard and teak bonds in violation of norms of banking regulator RBI and markets regular SEBI, it alleged. The company was controlled and managed by its CMD Pramatha Nath Manna, the two arrested directors and other associates. The ED alleged that the accused "diverted" public funds of Rs 1,786 crore to subsidiary and associate companies of MPS Greener

Special court extends DMK minister Senthil Balaji's remand till Monday

A Special Court trying cases relating to MPs and MLAs of Tamil Nadu on Friday extended the remand of DMK Minister V Senthil Balaji, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till August 28, 2023. Special Judge Sivakumar, before whom Balaji was produced through video conferencing by the jail authorities, extended the minister's remand to judicial custody till Monday. Directing the jail authorities to produce Senthil Balaji physically before the court, the judge posted to August 28, further hearing of the case. After several rounds of litigation before the courts up to the level of Supreme Court, the Enforcement Directorate had on August 7 taken custody of Balaji for five days and after the completion of the period, it had produced him before Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, who remanded him to judicial custody till August 25. The ED had also filed a charge sheet running to about 3,000 pages before the PSJ on the same day. The PSJ had on August 14 taken the charge sheet on file

Jharkhand CM Soren moves SC against ED summons in money laundering case

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) summons against him in connection with a money laundering case

Hindenburg 2.0? Soros-backed OCCRP said to be planning another 'expose'

Months after a US short seller shook markets with a damning report on the Adani group, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) - an organisation funded by likes of George Soros and Rockefeller Brothers Fund - is said to be planning another 'expose' on certain corporate houses in India, sources said. OCCRP, which calls itself "an investigative reporting platform formed by 24 nonprofit investigative centres... spread across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, may publish a report or a series of articles, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. An email sent to OCCRP seeking comments remained unanswered. Founded in 2006, OCCRP claims to specialize in reporting on organized crime and largely publishes these news articles through partnerships with media houses. On its website, it identifies the Open Society Foundations of George Soros, a financier with a penchant for funding radical causes around the world, as one of the institutional donors. Others ...