Page 14 - Money Laundering Case

National Herald probe: ED attaches Rs 752 cr assets of Cong-linked firms

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached immovable assets and equity shares worth about Rs 752 crore as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation against the Congress-promoted National Herald newspaper and companies linked to it. The provisional attachment order came as the elections in five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are in progress and the counting of votes is scheduled to be held on December 3. The Congress called the agency action as "petty vendetta tactics" and dubbed the ED a "coalition partner" of the BJP which, it claimed, is staring at a certain defeat in the assembly polls. The federal probe agency alleged in a statement that in this case the shareholders and donors of the Congress were "cheated" by the office-bearers of AJL and the party. A provisional attachment order has been issued by the federal probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Associated Journals Lt

Report leak: CBI chargesheets Anil Deshmukh's daughter, daughter-in-law

In a fresh jolt to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the CBI has chargesheeted his daughter Pooja and daughter-in-law Rahat in connection with alleged leakage of the agency's internal draft report in 2021 giving clean chit to the leader in an extortion case against him, officials said. In its supplementary charge sheet filed before a special CBI court here, the agency has termed Pooja a "co-conspirator" who allegedly planned, directed and provided logistical support to Deshmukh's lawyer Anand Dilip Daga to bribe agency's sub-inspector Abhishek Tiwari in order to get the draft report, they said. The report was leaked to the media on August 29, 2021 "to subvert" the Bombay High Court-directed probe against him, the agency has alleged. The Bombay High Court had directed the CBI to probe allegations of extortion worth crores from Restaurants and Bars owners in Mumbai levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against Anil Deshmukh. The CBI report leaked

Delhi HC stays proceedings in money laundering case against Pawan Munjal

The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the proceedings against Hero Motocorp chairman Pawan Kant Munjal in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Justice Saurabh Banerjee issued notice to the investigating agency on Munjal's petition against the ED case and granted it time to file its reply. While granting the interim relief, the judge observed that a similar stay order was recently passed on the predicate offence under the Customs Act and the petitioner has been exonerated by the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) in that matter. "Accordingly, there shall be a stay of proceedings under the ECIR," the court ordered. The court clarified that the stay was in relation to the petitioner only and the ED was free to proceed further according to law. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had filed a prosecution complaint last year on charges of allegedly "carrying, attempting to export and illicit export of prohibited ite

ED issues fresh summons to millionaire Singham in NewsClick PMLA case

A fresh summons was issued by the Enforcement Directorate to China-based American millionaire Neville Roy Singham for questioning in connection with a money laundering probe linked to online news portal NewsClick, officials said on Thursday. The 69-year-old businessman, who is accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India, is stated to be currently based in Shanghai. The summons were sent to Singham recently on his personal email ID and also through the Chinese diplomatic channels after the ED routed them through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the officials said. This is understood to be the second summons issued to Singham by the ED. The first was issued last year after the federal agency launched its investigation in 2021. The request has been sent under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) signed between India and China in 2003. Under this agreement, both countries shall promote cooperation for exchange of information on legal matters and cooperation in other le

Arrested to silence my voice: AAP's Sanjay Singh in letter from jail

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh has written a letter from jail addressed to the countryman, saying he was arrested to silence his voice. He was arrested on October 5 in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam in the city. He has been lodged in Tihar Jail. Singh, a vocal critic of the BJP and the government led by it, said he was arrested to silence his voice. With each passing day in jail, he said, his "determination and strength to fight authoritarian power" are increasing. "Born out of the womb of struggle, the AAP has created hope and trust in Indian politics. Under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership, in just 10 years, the AAP became a national party. We formed the government in Delhi thrice, achieved a significant majority in Punjab, and succeeded in penetrating Gujarat. Since independence, numerous governments were formed across the country, but the commendable work in education and healthcare by the Kejriwal government became an example in the country a

Waqf Board money laundering case: ED gets 3-day custody of three accused

As per ED, the money laundering case pertains to sell purchase of land for Rs. 13.40 crores. It is alleged that the transaction involves proceeds of crime

3 arrested by ED in money laundering case against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested three people as part of a money laundering investigation against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment of staff for the Delhi Waqf Board, official sources said Saturday. The agency had last month raided the premises of the 49-year-old legislator who represents the Okhla constituency in the Delhi assembly. Three people have been taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Their identities were not immediately known. The agency had alleged that Khan acquired "huge proceeds of crime" in cash from illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested these for purchasing immovable assets in the name of his associates. "The searches were conducted in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff in Delhi Waqf Board and illegal personal gains by way of unfairly leasing out of Waqf Board properties during the chairmanship of the board b

Money-laundering case: Rs 50 crore assets of Pawan Munjal attached

Federal agency seizes assets worth Rs 50 cr, including immovable properties worth Rs 25 cr, of businessman

HC dismisses Jet founder Naresh Goyal's plea against 'illegal' arrest by ED

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal challenging his "illegal" arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to bank loan default. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse said the petition cannot be entertained and hence is dismissed. The court said it was open for Goyal to avail other statutory remedy like bail plea. Goyal had filed a habeas corpus (produce the person) petition in which he claimed he was illegally arrested by the ED in the case. In his plea, Goyal claimed his arrest was illegal as it was done without following provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He also challenged orders of a special court which had first remanded him in the ED's custody and thereafter in judicial custody. The ED opposed the plea and said the arrest was done after following the due process of law. Goyal's custody was required as he was evasive and not cooperating

ED arrests Punjab AAP MLA in bank fraud-linked money laundering case

Punjab AAP MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra was on Monday arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to a bank fraud case, official sources said. The legislator was taken into custody under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he was detained by agency officials from a public meeting he was holding in Malerkotla, they said. The sources alleged that Gajjan Majra, a legislator from the Amargarh assembly constituency, had skipped multiple summons issued to him in the past and hence, was detained by the officials and then arrested after questioning. The Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang charged that the way Gajjan Majra was picked up from a public meeting by the ED shows the BJP's politics of defaming the party. He said the MLA has been facing a case since before he joined AAP. The central agency raided the MLA and some others in September last year as part of this PMLA ...

Jal Jivan Mission scam: ED raids in Rajasthan linked money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted fresh searches in poll-bound Rajasthan, including at the premises of a senior IAS officer, as part of its money laundering investigation into the alleged Jal Jivan Mission scam, official sources said. A total of 25 premises in the state capital Jaipur, and Dausa, including that of ACS in the PHE department, Subodh Agarwal, are being covered, they said. Some other linked persons are also being covered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. The central agency had carried out similar raids in this case in September. The state will vote for its 200-member assembly on November 25.

Two Ashoka Univ founders among 3 held by ED for alleged money laundering

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday arrested two promoters of Chandigarh-based pharma company Parabolic Drugs and a company CA in a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged bank fraud, official sources said. Parabolic promoters Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta and Chartered Accountant S K Bansal were taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The Guptas are the co-founders of Sonepat-based Ashoka University but had stepped down from their posts in 2022 at the educational institution after the CBI registered a case against them and the company in 2021. The three are expected to be produced before a special PMLA court in Chandigarh where the ED will seek their custody. The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR in which the promoters and the pharma company were booked for allegedly defrauding a consortium led by Central Bank of India of Rs 1626.74 crore.

Delhi excise case: Court extends custody of Sanjay Singh till Nov 10

A Delhi court on Friday extended till November 10 the judicial custody of AAP leader Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam. Special Judge M K Nagpal also allowed Singh to sign certain cheques for his family expenses as well as his works as a Member of Parliament. The judge also directed the jail authorities concerned to ensure proper treatment to Singh, including by his private doctor. "Court sees no reason to refuse the private treatment to the accused.... Hence, the jail superintendent concerned is directed to ensure the appropriate treatment," the judge said. He further directed that the counsel for the accused to ensure that no supporter of Singh and others gather at the medial centre during his visit.

ED raids pharma firm Parabolic Drugs, promoters in money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday carried out raids at multiple premises of Chandigarh-based pharmaceutical company Parabolic Drugs and its promoters as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged bank loan fraud case, official sources said. The searches by the central agency covered a total of 17 premises in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Panchkula and Ambala in Haryana, they said. The action is being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the ED case stems from a 2021 CBI FIR against the company and its promoters Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta among others, the sources said. The agency, as per the sources, is also looking at some documents from Sonepat-based Ashoka University as two directors of the company, Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta, have been associated with the educational institution in the past. The two had stepped down from all the boards and committees of the university in 2022, days after the CBI ...

Jyotipriyo Mallick: From Mamata loyalist to "scam-tainted" minister

Jyotipriyo Mallick, a senior TMC leader, saw his four-decade-long political journey take a severe hit as the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on Friday in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam in the state. Sixty-five-year-old Mallick presently holds the portfolios of Forest Affairs and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy in the Mamata Banerjee government. He was the West Bengal Food Supplies Minister from 2011 to 2021, a period during which the alleged irregularities in ration distribution reportedly took place. Mallick stepped into politics as a leader of the Congress students' wing Chatra Parishad - in the early eighties during his college years, inspired by then-firebrand mass leaders Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and Mamata Banerjee. Born into a middle-class family in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district in 1958, he delved into politics while pursuing a career in law. Recognizing his organizational skills, a local

ED arrests Bengal minister Jyotipriyo Mallick in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested West Bengal minister Jyotipriyo Mallick in a money laundering case linked to an alleged multi-core ration distribution scam in the state, official sources said on Friday. The minister was apprehended under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the early hours of Friday following over 17-18 hours of questioning, they said. He will be produced before a local court where the ED will seek his custody."I am a victim of a great conspiracy," the TMC minister said after being arrested by ED in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam. Earlier on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to file a police complaint if anything happens to Mallick during the questioning as he was unwell and had several medical ailments. The central agency had launched searches at Mallick's premises on Thursday. It also searched his ancestral house on Amherst Street in central Kolkata. The alleged scam pertains to reported ...

HC dismisses Sanjay Singh's plea against arrest in excise policy case

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to interfere with the arrest of AAP leader Sanjay Singh as well as his subsequent remand in Enforcement Directorate's custody in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise policy of the city government. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed his petition challenging the arrest as well as the remand in the matter, saying "no ground" was made out to grant him the relief. Singh, who was arrested by the ED on October 4, had moved the high court last week challenging his arrest and remand in the money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. The ED's money laundering case stems from the CBI FIR. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and undue favours were extended to licence holders. It is alleged that Singh played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the policy, which benefited certain liquor ...

Madras HC rejects bail plea of TN Minister Balaji in money laundering case

The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed the bail petition of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case. Justice G Jayachandran dismissed the bail petition of Senthil Balaji. The judge observed that since the brother of the petitioner was absconding and the petitioner was holding the post of a Minister without portfolio, he may likely tamper with witnesses. Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during the earlier AIADMK regime.

Court denies 'default bail' to Supertech chief in money laundering case

A Delhi court has denied 'default bail' to R K Arora, the chairman and promoter of real estate major Supertech Group, in a money laundering case. Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala dismissed the application moved by Arora which argued he should be granted bail since the central probe agency had filed an 'incomplete charge sheet' against him. The judge rejected the contention, observing that the ED had completed the investigation against Arora. "It is clear from the above discussions that the prosecution on completion of investigation has filed the complaint against the accused persons named in the complaint including the applicant Ram Kishor Arora," the judge said in an order passed on October 14. Jangla noted that considering the sufficiency of material on record, the court had already taken the cognizance of commission of alleged offence in an order passed on September 26. "The order passed by this court at the time of taking the cognizance itself implies that the

ED attaches assets over Rs 57 cr in Karuvannur bank money laundering case

A total of 117 immovable properties located in three southern states, deposits in 92 banks and vehicles worth over Rs 57 crore have been attached in a money laundering probe linked to the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank of Kerala, the ED said on Friday. The Enforcement Directorate issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the assets. The total value of these properties is Rs 57.75 crore. The attached assets include 117 immovable properties consisting of land and buildings in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; movable properties including 11 vehicles, fixed deposits and credit balances in 92 bank accounts of individuals found actively involved in the offence of money laundering, the federal agency said in a statement. The probe found loans were "illegally" sanctioned and disbursed to these persons and their benamis from the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank Ltd. in cash without sufficient collateral as part of a systematic conspirac