Page 77 - Enforcement Directorate

ED attaches assets of 2 Congress MLAs, PCC treasurer in coal levy case

Ninety immovable assets, luxury vehicles, jewellery and cash worth over Rs 51 crore belonging to Chhattisgarh Congress MLAs Devender Yadav, Chandradev Prasad Rai and PCC treasurer Ramgopal Agarwal among others have been attached in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal coal levy in the state, the ED said on Tuesday. The properties frozen also belong to IAS officer Ranu Sahu, coal trader and prime accused in the case-- Suryakant Tiwari-- apart from state Congress spokesperson R P Singh and local party leader Vinod Tiwari. Sahu was questioned by the ED few months back when she was officiating as the Raigad district collector. The properties have been provisionally attached under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency said in a statement. They are worth a total Rs 51.40 crore. The federal probe agency claimed that it has "established direct evidence of financial linkages of the above persons with Suryakant Tiwari." "Assets creat

ED director Mishra's tenure extended due to FATF review: Centre to SC

The Centre on Monday defended in the Supreme Court the third extension of service granted to Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra, asserting it was due to a peer review being conducted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) this year and said he will retire this November. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the third extension given to Mishra and the amendment carried out in law extending the maximum tenure of ED director to five years. "Arguments heard. Order reserved," the bench said, as it directed the parties to file their written submissions by Friday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre said, "This officer is not some DGP of any state but an officer representing the country in a United Nation like body and is in the midst of something. This court must not interfere with his tenure and from November onwards, he will not be there." He said Mishra was given extension

Court order in Delhi excise policy matter shows this case is bogus: AAP

The AAP on Sunday demanded that the BJP tender an apology to it for levelling false allegations against the party in connection with the excise policy case following a court granting bail to two accused in the matter. Addressing a press conference, AAP senior leader and Cabinet minister Atishi said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has levelled two allegations that Rs 100 crore kickbacks were received from liquor businessesmen and the money was used in Goa elections. "Yesterday, the Rouse Avenue court granted bail to Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra. The court order said no evidence had been kept forth by the ED showing any cash payment for bribe or kickbacks. The order said the ED attached some vague statements by witnesses," she added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that the entire case is "bogus" and only meant to malign his party. "Now even Court has said that there is no material evidence of any kickback or money laundering. We have been saying right from beginni

Unprecedented corruption in sale of liquor in Chhattisgarh, says ED

Money was "illegally" collected from "every bottle" of liquor sold in Chhattisgarh and evidence of "unprecedented" corruption and laundering of Rs 2,000 crore generated by an alcohol syndicate led by Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, has been collected, the ED said on Sunday. Anwar Debhar was arrested by the federal agency under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the early hours of Saturday from a hotel in Raipur while he was trying "to run from the back door", it said in a statement. He was remanded to four-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody by a special PMLA court even as his lawyer said the arrest seemed to be "politically motivated" and that they would move the Supreme Court. The agency said Anwar Dhebar did not join the probe in the case despite being summoned seven times and charged that he was "continuously using benami SIM cards and internet dongles, and was changing locations". When he was zeroed in a

Excise case: Delhi court lists ED's charge sheet against Sisodia on May 10

On ED apprising the court that hard copy of the supplementary charge sheet has been filed, the judge directed it to file the soft copies of the charge sheet by May 8

ED acting on 'malafide' FIR related to 10-yr-old case: Manappuram Finance

He also clarified that the total value of shares attached by ED is worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore, not around Rs 140 crore as stated

Excise policy scam: Delhi court to hear businessman's bail plea on May 12

A Delhi court will hear on May 12 the bail application of businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. Special Judge M K Nagpal fixed the matter for hearing arguments on the bail application on a join request made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the accused. The ED's Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta sought adjournment on the ground that the court has summoned Dhall and other co-accused on May 12 in pursuance to a supplementary prosecution complaint (ED's equivalent of a charge sheet) filed by the central probe agency against them. The counsel for Dhall also sought adjournment for addressing arguments on his bail application. "Hence, at joint request, the application is directed to be listed on May 12, for arguments. Accused be produced physically on the next date, as requested, the judge said in an order passed on May 4. The Delhi court on April 28 dismissed AAP leader and former Delhi minister Manish .

ED, CBI won't help BJP get votes in 2024 Lok Sabha elections: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took potshots at the BJP, saying that central agencies such as CBI and ED will not help the saffron party get votes in next year's general elections. The Trinamool Congress supremo called upon all opposition parties in the country to unite and fight the BJP together in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "I urge all opposition parties to unitedly fight the BJP in the 2024 elections. The BJP is using the ED and the CBI to harass opposition leaders, but agencies will not help it get votes," Banerjee said while speaking at a government programme where she handed over land deeds to those who have lost their lands to river erosion at Samsherganj in Murshidabad district. She alleged that despite several requests to the BJP-led Union government, the state administration has not received any help in arresting Ganga erosion, which is a major issue in Murshidabad and Malda districts. Banerjee claimed that the state did not get its share of Rs 70

CBI, ED will not help saffron party get votes in Lok Sabha polls: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took potshots at the BJP, saying that central agencies such as CBI and ED will not help the saffron party get votes in next year's general elections. Addressing a government programme in Samsherganj in Murshidabad district, the Trinamool Congress supremo called upon all opposition parties in the country to unite and fight the BJP together in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She alleged that despite several requests to the BJP-led Union government, the state administration has not received any help in arresting Ganga erosion, which is a major issue in Murshidabad and Malda districts. Banerjee handed over 'pattas' (land deeds) to those who lost their lands to river erosion in the area.

Manappuram Finance says enforcement action against promoter, not company

Manappuram's promoter, V.P. Nandakumar, said in the notification that the probe was not related to the company but a private entity called Manappuram Agro Farms, which is no longer in existence

Manappuram in freefall as ED freezes Rs 143 cr-assets; sinks 21% in 3 days

With today's fall, the stock has lost 21 per cent since Wednesday, May 3 when the ED had first began searches at the company's premises

Bank loan fraud: ED raids businessman who donated Rs 2.5 cr to UK party

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has raided a Delhi-based rice company and its promoter, who donated about Rs 2.5 crore to a political party in the UK, as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged bank loan fraud of over Rs 1,200 crore. Twenty-one locations in Delhi and Gurugram of Amira Pure Foods Private Limited and its promoter Karan A Chanana were raided by the federal probe agency on May 2. The money laundering case stems from a 2020 CBI FIR that was filed against the accused on allegations of "causing wrongful loss to the tune of Rs 1,201.85 crore to the consortium of banks led by Canara Bank". "The accused entities in connivance with each other as well as other related/un-related entities have illegally diverted loan funds sanctioned by the consortium of banks by way of transferring loan funds into the accounts of various shell entities under the guise of genuine business transactions. "It was also known that Karan A Chanana had donated 250,00

ED freezes Rs 143-crore assets of Manappuram Finance MD & CEO after raids

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has frozen assets worth Rs 143 crore of prominent Kerala-based NBFC Manappuram Finance Ltd's MD and CEO V P Nandakumar after it conducted raids as part of a money laundering investigation. A total of six premises in Thrissur, where the company is headquartered, were covered during the searches that were launched on Wednesday. The case pertains to allegations of money laundering through "illegal" collection of deposits from the public, the agency said in a statement. During the course of searches, the ED said, it was found that the proceeds of crime have been "diverted and invested" by V P Nandakumar into immovable properties in his name, in the name of his spouse and children and into the shares of Manappuram Finance Ltd. "Hence, ED has freezed the assets of V P Nandakumar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), totalling Rs 143 crore," it said. The frozen assets include deposits kept in eight bank accounts, investment i

Delhi liquor policy: ED files fresh charge sheet naming Manish Sisodia

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday field a fresh charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy linked money laundering case naming AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, sources said. Sisodia was arrested by the ED in this case on March 9 from Tihar Jail and he is currently in judicial custody. The 51-year-old Aam Aadmi Party leader was first arrested by the CBI, which is also probing this case. This is the fifth charge sheet or prosecution complaint filed in the case by the ED before a designated special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi. The agency has called Sisodia a "key conspirator" in this case. The federal agency has arrested 12 people including Sisodia in this case till now, in which it has said, the probe is continuing. 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 allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge str

Excise policy case: Delhi HC seeks ED's response on Sisodia's bail plea

The Delhi High Court sought Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s response on Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's bail plea in the now-scrapped excise policy case

Tax evasion case: Xiaomi moves Karnataka High Court to challenge FD seizure

Xiaomi India's market share in the Indian handset industry has been steadily falling as a result of the legal problems

Govt asks SC to not rush in granting legal validation to same-sex marriage

The apex court on Wednesday heard a plea in the same-sex marriage case and 7 women wrestler moved SC seeking permission to file an affidavit

Is he so indispensable? SC asks Centre over extension given to ED Director

"Can one person be so indispensable?" the Supreme Court asked the government on Wednesday as it questioned it about the third extension of service given to ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra despite its express direction that no further extension shall be granted to him. The top court said it had categorically held in its 2021 judgement that any extension of tenure granted to officers holding the post of Director of Enforcement after attaining the age of superannuation should be for a short period and clearly mentioned that no further extension will be given to Mishra. "Is there is no other person in the organisation who can do his job? Can one person be so indispensable? "According to you, there is no one else in ED who is competent? What will happen post to the agency post-2023, when he does retire?" a bench of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre. The barrage of questions from the bench came after the ...

Manappuram Finance slumps 14% as ED raids premises in money laundering case

As per PTI, the raids were being undertaken to gather evidences related to allegations that the company collected public deposits worth over Rs 150 crore in contravention of RBI guidelines

Not named as accused in any ED complaint in Delhi excise policy: Raghav

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said media reports that claimed he has been named as an accused in a charge sheet filed by the ED in a Delhi Excise policy-linked case were "factually wrong" and appear to be part of a "propaganda" to harm his reputation and credibility. In a supplementary charge sheet filed in a money-laundering case linked to the excise policy, the ED has accused the AAP of using a part of the Rs 100 crore kickbacks allegedly received from the 'south group' liquor lobby to meet its expenditure for the Goa Assembly poll campaign in 2022. The charge sheet carried the name of Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP, as part of a statement of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's Secretary C Arvind. He was not named as an accused in it. "...that at Dy CM's (Sisodia's) residence there was a meeting of Raghav Chadha, ACS Finance of Punjab Govt, Excise Commissioner, Sh Varun Roojam, FCT and officers from Punjab Excise where Vijay Nair was also present," the ED said. So