Page 89 - Enforcement Directorate

C'garh bureaucrat's ED custody extended by 4 days in alleged coal levy scam

A special court in Chhattisgarh's Raipur on Saturday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Saumya Chaurasia, a deputy secretary posted in the office of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, for four days in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal levy scam in the state. Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajay Singh Rajput extended the ED remand of Chaurasia after she was produced before the court on expiry of her current custody, said her lawyer Faizal Rizvi. Chaurasia will be produced in the court again on December 14, he added. Chaurasia was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on December 2. As per the ED, a cartel of senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen were involved in illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne of coal being transported in the state. The ED carried out raids across the state on October 11 and had arrested IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, coal trader Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and businessman Sun

ED seizes properties worth Rs 153.31 cr of Baghel's Deputy Secy, others

Enforcement Directorate said that they have attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 152.31 crore belonging to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel's Deputy Secretary, Saumya Chaurasia, and others

ED files prosecution complaint in alleged coal levy scam in Chhattisgarh

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed a prosecution complaint before a special court in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur in a money laundering case linked to the alleged coal levy scam, in which an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and three others have been named as accused. The 'prosecution complaint' along with relied upon documents, running into 8000 pages, was filed in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ajay Singh Rajput under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said ED's counsel Saurabh Pandey. IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, coal trader Suryakant Tiwari, the latter's uncle Laxmikant Tiwari and businessman Sunil Agrawal have been named as accused, he added. The ED's prosecution complaint mentioned that an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne was being extorted for coal transported in the state by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen, he said. Besides, lands purchased through benami ..

ED seizes Rs 2.51 cr worth gold from Malappuram-based jewellery house owner

The ED said on Wednesday that it has seized gold worth Rs 2.51 crore from a "secret" chamber at the premises of a Malappuram-based jewellery house promoter, who is an alleged beneficiary of the Kerala 'gold smuggling through diplomatic bag' case. The federal agency said in a statement that the action has been taken against Aboobacker Pazhedath, the promoter of Malabar Jewellery and Fine Gold Jewellery, both based in Malappuram in Kerala and one of the shareholders of Atlas Gold Super Markets Pvt. Ltd., Kozhikode. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), NIA and Customs department are conducting separate investigations into the racket that was unearthed with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020. Probe found, the ED said, that "Aboobaker Pazhedath of Malappuram is part of the gold smuggling syndicate headed by Sarith P S, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, under the patronage of IAS officer M ...

ED attaches Kerala cooperative bank agent's assets worth Rs 30.70 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 30.70 crore of a commission agent of Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank Ltd, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a cheating case. According to ED, the attached assets include 20 immovable properties consisting of land and building in Kerala, two premium cars, Rs 3,40,000 and foreign currency totalling Rs 2,08,124. The sleuths attached bank balances also in A K Bijoy's 57 accounts worth Rs 35,86 990. The central agency said he illegally sanctioned and disbursed loan to the tune of Rs 26.60 crore in cash without any collateral due to systematic conspiracy hatched and perpetuated by the secretary and committee members of the bank since 2010. "The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIRs registered by the Kerala police under section 420 of the IPC. Kerala police (Crime Branch) has registered more than 16 FIRs in Thrissur District regarding fraud in Karuvannur Service Co-Operative .

Scam in cooperative bank: ED has attached assets worth Rs 30 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 30.70 crore of Bijoy A K, the commission agent of Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank Ltd, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in fraud and cheating case. The ED said the attached assets include 20 immovable properties consisting of land and building in Kerala, two premium cars, Rs 3,40,000 and foreign currency totalling Rs 2,08,124. The sleuths attached bank balances also in Bijoy's 57 accounts worth Rs 35,86 990. The enforcement agency said he illegally sanctioned and disbursed loan to the tune of Rs 26.60 crore in cash without any collateral due to systematic conspiracy hatched and perpetuated by the secretary and committee members of the bank since 2010. "The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIRs registered by the Kerala police under section 420 of the IPC. Kerala police (Crime Branch) has registered more than 16 FIRs in Thrissur District regarding fraud in Karuvannur Service

ED records Nora Fatehi's statement in case against 'conman' Chandrashekhar

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday recorded the statement of actor Nora Fatehi for more than five hours as part of an ongoing money-laundering probe against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his associates, official sources said. Fatehi, 30, has been questioned by the federal agency in the case a few times in the past. The Canadian-born artiste came to India about seven to eight years ago to work in the Hindi film industry. Sources said the actor, who featured in popular Bollywood dance numbers such as 'Naach Meri Rani' and 'Kamariya', will be questioned about some more issues related to Chandrashekhar. Her statement was being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and she left the ED office in central Delhi after spending over five hours. She is understood to have been questioned on some new facts that have emerged in the case. The ED, in its earlier charge sheets filed in this case, had named actor Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused while Fatehi's

BJP uses central agencies to weaken opposition parties: Telangana Minister

Telangana Health and Finance Minister Harish Rao alleged that BJP uses agencies like Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax to weaken opposition parties when the elections are around the corner

ED response sought on Satyendar Jain's bail plea in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on jailed AAP Minister Satyendar Jain's bail plea in the money laundering case.

Delhi liquor policy: TRS MLC Kavitha's name surfaces in ED's remand report

According to the remand report, arrested businessman Vijay Nair received kickbacks of Rs 100 crore on behalf of AAP leaders from a group, called 'South Group'

Delhi excise policy a 'device' to generate illegal funds by AAP leaders: ED

AAP leaders, some of whom are part of the government, considered the Delhi excise policy as a "device" to generate illegal funds at the cost of the state exchequer, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a local court Wednesday. It also said that at least 36 accused, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and a PA of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, "destroyed or used" 170 phones in order to conceal evidence of "kickbacks" worth thousand of crores of rupees in the alleged scam. "The policy was formulated with deliberate loopholes, inbuilt mechanism to facilitate illegal activities and is marred with deliberate inconsistencies which when looked deeply, reflect malafide intentions of the policymakers. "This policy, though on the face of it, has promising and laudable objectives of stopping cartelisation and encouraging fair trade practices, in reality it promoted cartel formations through back door, awarded exorbitant wholesale (12 per cent) and huge retail (185 per cent)

BS-IV vehicle scam: ED probes Ashok Leyland's role, attaches properties

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that it has attached properties worth Rs 22.10 crore of firms in a Prevention of Money Laundering case relating to the BS-IV vehicle scam

Court refuses bail to ex-Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in ED case

A special court here on Wednesday refused bail to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in an alleged money laundering case linked to a land deal in which fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides were involved. R N Rokade, special judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), had reserved his order on the bail plea on November 14 after hearing lengthy arguments. While the detailed order was not yet available, the judge while pronouncing the order said the two conditions laid down under section 45 of the PMLA were not satisfied. Section 45 says that a court can grant bail in PMLA cases if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accused is not prima facie guilty of the offence, and he or she shall not commit any offence if released. The court also relied on the statements of witnesses, and said there was continued possession of the tainted property. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Malik, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress .

Best of BS Opinion: ED's expansion, Geo-engineering & climate control, more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

ED's expansion

The agency is entering new areas of surveillance

Centre allows ED to share info with 15 more agencies including NIA, CCI

The government has allowed the Enforcement Directorate to share information about economic offenders with 15 more agencies, including SFIO, CCI and NIA, a move that will expedite nailing of law-breakers. The finance ministry notified changes to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on November 22. Through the notification, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which deals primarily with cases of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws, would be able to share data with a total of 25 agencies, including the 10 specified earlier. These 15 agencies include National Investigation Agency (NIA), Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), State Police Department, regulators under various Acts, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of External Affairs, and Competition Commission of India (CCI). National Intelligence Grid, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Defence Intelligence Agency, National Technical Research Organisation, Military Intelligenc

PMLA case: HC to hear ED's plea against bail granted to Raut on Dec 12

The Bombay High Court on Monday said it would hear on December 12 the application filed by the Enforcement Directorate seeking cancellation of bail granted to Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case. Apart from the Shiv Sena leader, the ED has also challenged the bail granted to co-accused Pravin Raut. Last week, a single bench of Justice M S Karnik had recused itself from hearing the matter. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for ED, on Monday mentioned the matter before another single bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudessai and sought urgent hearing. Justice Prabhudessai posted the matter for hearing on December 12. Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were granted bail by a special court on November 9. They were arrested in a money laundering case related to the Patra Chawl redevelopment project in Goregaon in Mumbai. The ED moved HC on the same day and sought an urgent interim stay on the bail order. The HC had, at the time, refused to pass any inte

Blocked 700 crypto accounts between April-Sep over irregularities: WazirX

The crypto exchange received 828 requests from law enforcement agencies, of which 764 were Indian and 64 were foreign

ED attaches 40% shares of hotel projects in Gardens Galleria in PMLA case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 40 per cent share of the Hotel Project (1,40,000 Sq. Ft. FSI Space) within the Commercial Centre, Gardens Galleria, Noida.

I-T dept sends notices to firms to enquire about their foreign assets

The Income Tax department's intelligence unit has sent notices to at least eight firms in Mumbai and has also asked for information on their directors