Page 7 - Money Laundering Case

Excise scam: HC lists ED's plea against bail to CM Kejriwal for July 15

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday listed for July 15 the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam. The high court had earlier stayed the trial court's June 20 order by which Kejriwal was granted bail in the case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who was scheduled to hear the plea, was informed by the counsel for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that they were served with Kejriwal's reply to their petition only late Tuesday night and the agency requires some time to file a rejoinder. While the probe agency's lawyer submitted that the copy of the reply was served to them at 11 PM on Tuesday, Kejriwal's counsel maintained that it was served to the investigating officer (IO) of the case at 1 PM. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, mentioned the matter before the court, saying a specific time be fixed for the hearing as there is extreme urgency in the ...

SC adjourns hearing on ex-TN min Senthil Balaji's bail plea to July 12

The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 12 the hearing on the bail plea of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate last year. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought time. "List it day after tomorrow at the end of the list," the bench said. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Balaji, submitted that a number of adjournments have been taken by the ED in the matter. The top court had on April 1 sought a response from the ED on Balaji's bail plea while issuing notice to the agency. Dismissing Balaji's bail petition, the Madras High Court on February 28 said that it will send a wrong signal if he is let out on bail in a case of this nature and it will be against the larger public interest. It said the petitioner had suffered incarceration for more than eight months and it would therefore be more appropriate

ED summons YouTuber Elvish Yadav for questioning in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned YouTuber Siddharth Yadav alias Elvish Yadav on July 23 for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the suspected use of snake venom as a recreational drug in parties hosted by him, official sources said on Wednesday. The central agency had registered the case in May and pressed charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of an FIR and a charge sheet filed against Elvish Yadav and linked persons by police in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) district. The sources said Elvish Yadav was initially asked to appear this week before the ED at its Lucknow office but he sought deferment of the summons owing to his scheduled foreign travel and professional commitments. He has now been asked to depose before the investigating officer of the ED on July 23, they said. Rahul Yadav alias Rahul Fazilpuriya, a singer from Haryana allegedly linked to Elvish Yadav, was questioned by the ED this week in

Hemant Soren govt wins trust vote in Assembly amid Opposition walkout

The JMM-led government in Jharkhand headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday won the vote of confidence in the assembly amid a walkout by opposition members. A total of 45 MLAs, including nominated member Josheph P Galastaun, voted in favour of the confidence motion. BJP and AJSU legislators walked out of the House as headcount for voting started. The BJP-led opposition has 24 legislators of the saffron party and three of the AJSU Party. Earlier, BJP legislators trooped into the well seeking Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto's permission to allow MLA Bhanu Pratap Sahi to speak, which was turned down by the Speaker. Seventy-five MLAs were present in the assembly during the voting. Independent legislator Saryu Roy abstained from voting. The ruling alliance comprises the JMM, Congress and the RJD while it is supported from outside by the lone CPI (ML) Liberation legislator. After the Lok Sabha elections, the strength of the JMM-led alliance has been reduced to 45 MLAs in the 81-mem

ED files money laundering case to probe STP scam in DJB, conducts searches

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it seized Rs 41 lakh in cash, "incriminating" documents and digital devices during searches conducted as part of a money laundering case linked to alleged corruption in the augmentation of some Sewage Treatment Plants by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The raids were launched on July 3 and covering multiple places in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad, the probe agency said in a statement. The money laundering investigation stems from an FIR of the Delhi government anti-corruption branch (ACB) against a company named Euroteck Environmental Pvt Ltd. and others alleging a scam in the DJB in the name of augmentation and upgradation of 10 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at Pappankala, Nilothi [Package 1], Najafgarh, Keshopur [Package 2], Coronation Pillar, Narela, Rohini [Package 3] and Kondli [Package 4]. These four tenders, valued at Rs 1,943 crore, were awarded to various joint venture (JV) entities in October, 2022. According to the ED, the

Brazilian police indict ex-President Bolsonaro in undeclared diamonds case

Brazil's Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations. A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. Brazil's Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the indictment. Once it does, the country's prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will analyze the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial. The indictment dramatically raises the stakes in a series of investigations into the divisive ex-leader applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters. Bolsonaro and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing related to the case, as well as the slew of ...

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SC to hear AAP MLA Jaswant Singh's plea against arrest in ED case on July 1

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear AAP MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra's plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering probe linked to a bank fraud case on Monday. A vacation bench of Justice CT Ravikumar and Justice Manoj Misra is likely to hear the matter. The top court had earlier refused to grant interim bail to the Punjab MLA to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had also dismissed a plea by the legislator challenging his arrest, observing that there was no illegality. In May 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids on premises linked to Gajjan Majra in connection with an alleged Rs 40 crore bank fraud. In September 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on several premises linked to him as part of a money-laundering probe in connection with the alleged bank loan fraud. The ED team had seized Rs 32 lakh in cash, some mobile phones and hard drives.

Delhi HC to rule on BRS leader Kavitha's bail plea in Excise case on Monday

The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, after hearing submissions from all sides, decided to reserve the order in the matter on May 28, 2024

ED attaches fresh assets in PMLA case against UP-based bike taxi aggregator

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has attached fresh assets worth more than Rs 5 crore as part of a money laundering investigation against an Uttar Pradesh-based bike taxi aggregator and its promoters. A provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued against the company, Hello Ride Limited, its directors, presidents, agents and others, the ED said in a statement. The attached properties, which include agricultural land and plots, are located in Prayagraj, Kanpur and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The total value of these properties is Rs 5.35 crore, it said. The ED had earlier frozen properties worth Rs 2.38 crore in this case and the total attachment now stands at Rs 7.73 crore. The money laundering case stems from about three dozen FIRs filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police against the company and its promoters Abhay Kumar Kushwaha, Neelam Verma, Nikhil Kushwah, Rajesh Pandey, Shaqeel Ahmad, Ragini Gupta and others. Abhay Kushwaha alon

BJP got Kejriwal arrested in fake case, alleges AAP as CBI arrests him

The AAP alleged on Wednesday that when there was a possibility of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal getting bail from the Supreme Court in a money laundering case, the BJP panicked and got him arrested in a "fake case" by the CBI. Earlier in the day, a Delhi court allowed the CBI to formally arrest Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case. The CBI arrested Kejriwal after Special Judge Amitabh Rawat passed the order. The agency has sought five-day custody of the chief minister in the case. In a post in Hindi on X, the AAP said, "The dictator crossed all limits of cruelty!! Today when there was every possibility of Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal getting bail, the BJP went into panic mode and got Kejriwal arrested by the CBI in a fake case." "The CBI took Kejriwal ji to Rouse Avenue Court where his blood sugar level dropped very low. Dictator, no matter how much oppression you inflict, Kejriwal will neither bow down nor break," it said. Kejriwal has been in prison since April 1 in

Money laundering: TN minister Senthil Balaji's remand extended till July 1

A sessions court on Tuesday extended the remand of former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, arrested by the ED in a money laundering case, till July 1. Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, before whom Senthil Balaji was produced by the prosecution through video-conferencing from the Central Puzhal Prison here, also extended his judicial custody till July 1. When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, the ED filed its counter affidavits to the three petitions filed by Senthil Balaji. The judge posted to July 1, further hearing of these petitions. In one petition, Senthil Balaji sought to defer the present proceedings and adjourn the case to a later date. In two others, he sought to furnish the missing documents in "Relied Upon Document Nos-16 and 17"--copies of counterfoil challans relating to his account, which were collected by the ED in its investigation, to him. Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023 by the ED in connection with the money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jo

SC asks Delhi HC to rule on Satyendar Jain's bail plea in ED case on July 9

The Supreme Court asked the Delhi High Court on Tuesday to decide the bail plea of jailed former AAP minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case. A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and S V N Bhatti said bail matters should not be unnecessarily adjourned and asked the high court to decide Jain's plea on the next hearing date. Jain approached the top court against the six-week adjournment granted on his bail plea by the high court. He also contended that a similar issue was pending before the top court and therefore, his plea be tagged with it. On May 28, the high court sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate and asked it to file a status report on the matter. The court also called for the nominal roll of Jain from prison and listed the matter for further hearing on July 9. The ED arrested Jain on May 30, 2022, in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by a trial cou

Unusual for HC to reserve verdict: SC during Kejriwal's bail hearing

The Supreme Court on Monday termed as "unusual" the Delhi High Court's decision of reserving the order while granting interim stay on the operation of the trial court's order granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti, which fixed June 26 for hearing Kejriwal's plea against the interim stay granted by the high court at the time of reserving its verdict on ED's plea said, "Normally, on stay applications, orders are not reserved. They are passed at the hearing itself, on the spot. So, it is a bit unusual." The bench said it would like to wait for the pronouncement of the high court order before taking a call on the AAP national convenor's appeal. During the brief hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, sought vacation of the interim stay on the bail order, contending it was contrary to the well-established norm that a bail granted

Bail order perverse, Kejriwal neck deep in money laundering: ED tells HC

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday told the Delhi High Court that the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was based on "perverse" findings as it did not consider the material demonstrating his "neck deep involvement" in the offence of money laundering linked to the alleged excise scam. In a written note filed in relation to its plea seeking a stay on the trial court's decision, the agency contended the order suffers from a "jurisdictional defect" since it was not given a proper opportunity to argue its case. It also said the trial judge did not record her satisfaction that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offence as per section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). On June 20, Special Judge Niyay Bindu, who sat as the vacation judge, granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime

HC refuses interim bail to businessman Arun Pillai in Delhi Excise scam

The Delhi High Court has refused to grant interim bail to Hyderabad businessman Arun Ramchandran Pillai, who is lodged in judicial custody in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi Excise scam, noting that he is receiving adequate medical treatment in jail. Pillai, who sought to be released on interim bail on medical grounds, submitted that his family has taken opinion from ayurvedic doctors who have opined that he needs to be admitted at an ayurvedic centre to undergo 21 days panchkarma therapy with further rest of 21 days. The high court said, Without commenting on the efficacy of Panchkarma treatment with regard to the back pain, suffice to say that the applicant needs to follow the treatment advice of the doctor and even thereafter if he does not get relief and then if so advised, he would be at liberty to file an application to explore the alternative remedies of ayurveda/ panchkarma treatment etc. A vacation bench of Justice Ravinder Dudeja noted that none of the

Bail to Kejriwal exposed BJP conspiracy, so ED challenged it: Sanjay Singh

AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making a mockery of the justice system after the Delhi High Court put on hold a trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. Singh said the trial court's bail to the Delhi chief minister "exposed" the conspiracy of the BJP and the party should apologise to the Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal. Taking to X, Singh said in a post in Hindi, "Look at the hooliganism of the Modi government, the trial court's order has not yet come, even a copy of the order has not been received, so Modi's ED reached the High Court to challenge which order? What is happening in this country? "Modi ji, why are you making a mockery of the justice system? The entire country is watching you?" the AAP MP said. At a press conference, Singh termed the trial court order was "historic" and completely "exposed" the role of the BJP government and ED operated by ..

ED acting as if Kejriwal 'most wanted terrorist in India': Sunita Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal lashed out at the ED for challenging her husband's bail order in the high court, accusing it of acting as if the AAP national convener was the "most wanted terrorist in India". Speaking in south Delhi's Bhogal where Delhi Water Minister Atishi began an indefinite hunger strike to press on her demand for getting more water from Haryana, Sunita Kejriwal said dictatorship in the country has crossed all limits. "It was only yesterday your chief minister got bail. In the morning, the order was supposed to be uploaded. Even before the order was uploaded, the ED approached the Delhi High Court. This happened as if Kejriwal is the most wanted terrorist in India," Sunita Kejriwal said. "Dictatorship in the country has crossed all limits. The ED does not want to give anyone liberty and has gone to the high court against the chief minister demanding a stay (on his bail). The high court's decision is yet to come. We hope the high court

ED challenges order granting bail to Kejriwal, says not adequately heard

ED has challenged the order dated June 20, 2024, passed by Special Judge (Vacation Judge), Rouse Avenue District Courts that granted bail to Kejriwal

ED makes 3rd arrest in Jal Jeevan Mission irregularities case in Rajasthan

The Enforcement Directorate has made a fresh arrest in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme being implemented in Rajasthan. Mahesh Mittal, proprietor of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company, was taken into custody on Wednesday. He was produced before a court that sent him to ED custody till June 24. The central agency early this week had arrested Padamchand Jain, proprietor of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company. The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) launched by the Union government aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections and it is being implemented in Rajasthan by the state's Public Health Engineering (PHE) department. A man named Piyush Jain was the first to be arrested in this case by the federal agency in February. The agency's investigation found Padamchand Jain and others were involved in giving bribes to public servants in order to obtain illegal protection, obtaining tenders, ..