Page 87 - Enforcement Directorate

Coal scam: ED recovers Rs 1 cr from businessman's office in Kolkata

ED sleuths, probing coal-smuggling case in WB, recovered Rs 1 crore from the office of a Kolkata-based businessman after a marathon raid and search operation at his residence and office on Wednesday

ED arrests businessman Gautam Malhotra in Delhi excise policy scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested businessman Gautam Malhotra in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam.

Teachers' scam: ED identifies lottery angle for conversion of money

Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal has reportedly procured some vital clues that hint towards the arrested youth TMC leader, Kuntal Ghosh.

ED attaches Rs 859 cr proceeds of crime in illegal loan app cases: Centre

The Directorate of Enforcement has attached proceeds of crime worth Rs 859.15 crore generated by accused persons/entities through illegal loan apps, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said on Tuesday. Further, assets amounting to Rs 289.28 crore have been seized under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. In a written reply to a query in Rajya Sabha, Karad said Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has furnished the list of Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) being used by regulated entities of RBI to the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). MeitY has shared the list with respective intermediary (App Stores) and requested them to ensure that only the apps figuring in the list are hosted on their app stores. The RBI's digital lending guidelines issued in September advises measures, including due diligence of Loan Service Providers (LSPs), direct disbursal of loan from bank account of lender to bank account of the borrower without any pass-through/pool or ...

ED attaches Rs 936 cr as proceeds of crime, arrests 5 for crypto fraud

The enforcement directorate has attached Rs 936 crore proceeds of crime and arrested 5 five persons related to crypto currency fraud, Parliament was informed on Monday. Further, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), assets amounting to Rs 289.28 crore have been seized and one show cause notice to cryptocurrency exchange Zanmai Labs Pvt Ltd, known as WazirX, and its directors has been issued for transactions involving cryptocurrencies worth Rs 2,790 crore. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the Enforcement Directorate is investigating several cases related to cryptocurrency frauds wherein a few crypto exchanges have also been found involved in money laundering. "As on January 31, 2023, proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 936 crore have been attached/seized/freezed, 5 persons have been arrested and 6 prosecution complaints (PCs) including 1 supplementary PC have been filed before the Special Court, PML

Saradha case: ED attaches assets of P Chidambaram's wife, ex-CPM MLA

The ED on Friday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 6 crore of "beneficiaries" such as Nalini Chidambaram, wife of Congress leader P Chidambaram, former CPM MLA Debendranath Biswas and a company "owned" by former Assam minister, the late Anjan Dutta, in the Saradha money laundering case. A provisional order for attaching movable properties worth Rs 3.3 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 3 crore has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal agency said in a statement. These properties were owned by the Saradha Group and other people, who were beneficiaries of "proceeds of crime" generated by the group, it said. The ED said the "beneficiaries" include Nalini Chidambaram, Debabrata Sarkar (an official of the East Bengal Club), Debendranath Biswas (a former IPS officer and ex-CPM MLA) and Anubhuti Printers and Publications "owned" by Dutta, who was a president of the Congress' Assam unit. Nalini Chidambaram's role in the case was allegedl

Chhattisgarh coal scam: ED attaches more assets worth Rs 17.48 cr

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that it has attached 51 immovable properties worth Rs 17.48 crore in the illegal coal levy extortion scam in Chhattisgarh

ED's power confined to probe money laundering offence, says Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has held that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has the power to investigate and inquire into an offence of money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) only and it cannot assume that a predicate offence has been committed. The high court said the predicate offence has to be necessarily investigated and tried by the authorities empowered by law in that regard and the ED cannot possibly arrogate unto itself the power to investigate into the alleged commission of those offences. What needs to be emphasised is that the PMLA empowers the ED to investigate Section 3 offences only. Its power to investigate and enquire stands confined to the offence of money laundering as defined in that section. However, the same cannot be read as enabling it to assume from the material, that it may gather in the course of that investigation, that a predicate offence stands committed. "The predicate offence has to be necessarily investigated and tried by the ...

Enforcement Directorate can only probe money laundering cases: Delhi HC

The court ruled that the primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting crimes specified as scheduled offences under the PMLA belongs to the authorities established by those separate acts

ED case against Rana Ayyub: SC asks Ghaziabad court to adjourn proceedings

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a special court in Ghaziabad, which has summoned journalist Rana Ayyub in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to adjourn the proceedings scheduled for January 27 to a date after January 31. The apex court said it will hear on January 31 the petition of Ayyub challenging the summons issued to her by the special court. A bench of Justices Krishna Murari and V Ramasubramanian was informed by advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Ayyub, that the petitioner has been summoned by the Ghaziabad court on January 27. "List on January 31. In the meantime, the Ghaziabad special court is requested to adjourn the proceedings...fixed for January 27 to a date after January 31," the bench said. The top court said this order is being passed because the hearing could not be concluded before it on Wednesday due to paucity of time and it is not a reflection on the merits of the matter. At the outset, the bench asked why the petition

Excise policy 'scam': ED attaches Rs 76.54 cr worth assets under PMLA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it has attached houses located in upscale localities of Delhi and Mumbai, restaurants, 50 vehicles and bank deposits worth Rs 76.54 crore in a money laundering case probe linked to the Delhi excise policy 'scam'. The properties belong to arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair, liquor businessman Sameer Mahandru, his wife and company Indospirit Group, businessman Dinesh Arora, Arun Pillai, Amit Arora, director of liquor company Buddy Retail Pvt Limited, and others, the agency said in a statement. An order for the provisional attachment of the assets has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The money laundering stems from a CBI FIR. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and other excise officials of the government were named as accused in the CBI and the ED complaints. In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that Sisodia and other accused public servants recommended and took decisions pertaini

Delhi HC rejects journalist Raghav Bahl's plea in ED money laundering case

A single-judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh dismissed the plea observing that the investigation is not over yet and the petition is premature

ED arrests TMC youth leader Kuntal Ghosh in teachers recruitment scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Trinamool Congress youth leader Kuntal Ghosh for his alleged involvement in teachers recruitment scam, a senior official said

Charge sheet not 'public document', cannot be put in public domain: SC

The Supreme Court held that charge sheet filed in criminal cases by investigating agencies cannot be put in public domain for free access

SC agrees to hear plea of journalist Rana Ayyub in money laundering case

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition of journalist Rana Ayyub challenging the summons issued to her by a special PMLA court in Ghaziabad in a money laundering case lodged against her by ED

Covid-19 centre contracts probe: BMC chief at ED office to record statement

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Monday went to the Enforcement Directorate's office here in connection with its probe into the alleged irregularities in award of contracts for COVID-19 care centres. The ED had summoned Chahal to record his statement in the matter. Chahal was seen entering the ED's office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai at around 11.40 am. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya had alleged irregularities in the COVID-19 centers set up by the BMC. He had also filed a complaint at the Azad Maidan police station, based on which the police registered an FIR against a hospital management firm and some persons for allegedly submitting fake documents to obtain contracts of COVID-19 care centres.

ED alleges France's Pernod violated Delhi city rules to boost market share

Pernod Ricard violated the liquor policy of India's capital city by financially supporting retailers who in exchange stocked more of the French company's brands and boosted its market share, ED said

ED, I-T raids on Mushrif: MVA slams BJP for unleashing 'fear politics'

Mushrif is the third senior NCP leader after Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik, besides Shiv Sena (UT)'s Raut, facing the heat of the various probe agencies in the past couple of years

Rs 635-cr money laundering: ED files charge sheet against Maharashtra MLA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge-sheet against Maharashtra MLA Ratnakar Gutte before a special court here in connection with an alleged multi-crore loan fraud. As per the probe agency, Gutte, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha MLA from Gangakhed in Parbhani district, is accused of laundering Rs 635 crore through Gangakhed Sugar and Energy Private Limited (GSEPL), of which he was chairman. Gutte, as per the ED charge-sheet, tied up with several banks between 2012 and 2017 and obtained agricultural loans by using documents like PAN and property details of farmers. The GSEPL was an agent in this agreement. As per the ED, banks sanctioned Rs 772.31 crore, of which Rs 635.89 crore were disbursed in fictitious accounts created in the name of farmers using these documents, and the money was siphoned off. A sum of Rs 272 crore is pending for repayment, the ED said, adding it has attached 22 immovable properties, bank accounts and other movable properties worth Rs 255 crore connected

There will be no probe by Central agencies against CPI-M leaders: Congress

Since the BJP/RSS combine and the CPI-M are two sides of the same coin, there will be no probe against the CPI-M leaders by national agencies, a top Congress leader in Kerala said