Page 2 - Money Laundering

FATF hails India's asset recovery model, cites ED as global benchmark

FATF highlights India's Enforcement Directorate for its effective coordination, citing ED's cases as examples of global best practice in tracing and seizing illicit assets

ED seizes ₹7,500 cr assets linked to Anil Ambani in money laundering probe

The ED has attached assets worth ₹3,084 crore linked to Anil Ambani, including his Mumbai home, a Delhi plot and other residential and commercial properties across major cities under the PMLA

Belgian Court finds offences extraditable, dismisses Choksi's bias claims

The judgment clarified that the alleged acts occurred in India between December 31, 2016, and January 1, 2019, and that prosecution is not time-barred under either Indian or Belgian law

ED chargesheets Elvish Yadav in wildlife-linked money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against YouTuber Siddharth Yadav alias Elvish Yadav, his friend and singer Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuriya apart from two others, and charged them with money laundering in an alleged wildlife crime involving protected snakes and lizards, official sources said. The prosecution complaint was filed on October 13 before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Gurugram, Haryana. The court is yet to take cognisance of the chargesheet. Yadav (28), Fazilpuriya (35), a company named Sky Digital India Pvt. Ltd. and its director Gurkaran Singh Dhaliwal have been named as the accused in the chargesheet, the sources told PTI. Yadav has been accused of generating, acquiring, and possessing proceeds of crime worth Rs 84,000 from the monetisation of an "offending" video uploaded in 2023 that depicted live snakes and an iguana (a protected species of lizard). Fazilpuriya has been charged for the same offence as it was found dur

Shilpa Shetty questioned in cheating case, denies role in firm's affairs

Actor Shilpa Shetty has told the Mumbai police that she did not look into the affairs of the company she co-founded with her husband Raj Kundra, during her questioning in connection with the Rs 60 crore cheating case, an official said on Tuesday. A team from the police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) recorded the actor's statement at her residence on October 4 and questioned her for more than four hours, the official said. The actor, in her statement, told the police that she was not looking into the affairs of the liquidated company, Best Deal TV Private Limited. Shetty and her husband, Raj Kundra, were directors of Best Deal TV Private Limited, a home shopping and online retail platform. The official said the actor answered questions while recording her statement and submitted supporting documents. Police are verifying the documents provided by the actor, he said. "Shetty said that she was not looking into the affairs of the company. She was paid celebrity fees for appearing on

Actor Sonu Sood appears before ED in betting app linked PMLA case

Actor Sonu Sood on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said. Sood (52) reached the agency's office in central Delhi around 12 noon. The investigating officer of the case will question the actor and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Some female social media influencers have also been questioned by the agency as part of this investigation. The probe into the operations of the 1xBet betting app is part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people of crores of rupees and reportedly evading a huge amount of direct

ED attaches Dubai assets, India deposits worth ₹307 cr in betting case

Land, villas and flats in Dubai and bank deposits in India worth Rs 307 crore have been attached under the anti-money laundering law in an online betting and broadcasting case linked to a platform named Fairplay, the ED said on Monday. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Cyber wing of the Mumbai Police. The complaint was registered on the basis of a communication sent by Viacom18 Media against Fairplay and others, alleging revenue loss of more than Rs 100 crore to the former company due to violation of the Information Technology (IT) and Copyright Act. Subsequently, many other FIRs against various entities, including Fairplay and its associates, for "illegal" online betting were tagged together for investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. A provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 19 to attach land, villas and flats located in Dubai and bank deposits kept in India. These properties

Jacqueline Fernandez moves SC, challenges HC dismissal in ₹200-cr case

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez moves the Supreme Court after Delhi HC rejected her plea to quash ₹200-crore money laundering case, seeking a stay of trial against her

ED raids Sasikala, others in ₹200 cr bank fraud, benami assets probe

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches in Chennai and Hyderabad as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged Rs 200 crore bank fraud and benami assets probe against Sasikala, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, and some others, officials said. At least ten premises in the two cities linked to a person named GRK Reddy, related to the Marg group and an alleged benami of Sasikala, are being raided under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA, they said. The probe is related to a Rs 200 crore alleged bank fraud in which the CBI had filed an FIR, they said.

ED raids 13 premises of B C Jindal Group over FEMA violation charges

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches against the B C Jindal Group of companies on charges of violation of the foreign exchange law, official sources said. They said at least 13 premises of the directors and officials of the group located in Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad are being searched under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The ED is investigating suspected FEMA violations by the group entities of the company such as Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd. and Jindal India Powertech Ltd. for its overseas investments and parking of funds in their overseas entities, the sources said. The company could not be contacted immediately for comment on the ED action. The business conglomerate has recorded an annual turnover of over Rs 18,000 crore and is a major player in the power sector.

Mehul Choksi assured humane jail conditions if extradited to India

Wanted fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi could be lodged in Barrack No. 12 of Arthur Road Jail with amenities meeting European human rights standards

Lookout circular against Shilpa Shetty, husband in ₹60 cr cheating case

The Mumbai police have issued a Lookout Circular (LOC) against Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and her businessman husband Raj Kundra in connection with a Rs 60 crore cheating case, officials said on Friday. The LOC was issued by the Economic Offences Wing of the city police as the couple makes frequent international trips, an official said. A case was registered against the actor and her husband at Juhu police station on August 14 for allegedly duping a businessman of nearly Rs 60 crore in a loan-cum-investment deal, he said. A Lookout Circular is a mechanism used to prevent a person from leaving the country or to track their movements, typically by issuing an alert to immigration and border control points.

Arrested TMC MLA sent to judicial remand by PMLA court in ED case

A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here on Saturday remanded TMC MLA Jiban Krishna Saha, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to judicial custody for 14 days. Saha, who was arrested on August 25 by the federal agency on money laundering charges, was produced before the court at the end of his six-day ED remand. The agency's lawyer Bhaskar Prasad Banerjee prayed before the special court judge for Saha's judicial custody. The MLA did not make any bail prayer before the court. The legislator from the Burwan constituency in Murshidabad district was arrested by the federal probe agency after searches were conducted at his residence. The raids also covered the premises of his associates and an alleged middleman named Prasanna Kumar Roy. Saha was earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the alleged school jobs recruitment irregularities in April, 2023 and was granted bail by the Supreme Court in May, 2024. The ED has alleged that Saha, along with hi

ED issued first 'Purple Notice' from Interpol in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has secured the publication of its first Interpol-issued 'Purple Notice' in a trade-based money laundering case. The notice was issued by the Lyon-based global police body on August 21, the federal probe agency said in a statement. The 'Purple Notice' is one of eight types of notices published by Interpol. It provides its 196 member countries with information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals. "The publishing of the Purple Notice is an attempt of Enforcement Directorate at generating awareness and sensitising its global counterparts to these new emerging money laundering trends," it said. The probe, in which the notice was issued, pertains to an organised network of domestic and foreign shell entities engaged in "large-scale" laundering of funds under the guise of international trade. The conspirators exploited trade mechanisms and banking channels by under-invoicing imports, using sham

ED raids premises linked to Karnataka MLA, others in online gaming case

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted multiple searches at the premises linked to Karnataka Congress MLA K C Veerendra Pappy and some others as part of an online gaming and betting-linked money laundering case, official sources said. Pappy is a legislator from the Chitradurga assembly seat. The action is being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Premises linked to the MLA and some others are being covered in a case linked to online betting and gaming, the sources said.

India's online gaming ban may fuel offshore betting, money laundering

With fantasy sports, putting real money behind players' on-field performance has been elevated to a game of skill, at least in the eye of the law

ED raids Tamil Nadu Minister I Periyasamy, son in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday searched multiple premises linked to Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader I Periyasamy and his MLA son as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. The raids were undertaken in Chennai and Dindigul under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The premises of I P Sentilkumar, the son of the 72-year-old minister for rural development, panchayats and panchayat unions, were also searched, according to the sources. Periyasamy represents the Athoor assembly constituency in Dindigul district. There was no immediate comment from Periyasamy or the DMK on the ED action. The money laundering investigation stems from an April order of the Madras High Court, which directed a special court in Dindigul to frame charges against Periyasamy and his family members in connection with a Rs 2.1 crore "disproportionate" assets case. The order came in response to some criminal revision petitions filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and

ED questions Suresh Raina in alleged 'illegal' online betting app case

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina was on Wednesday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged illegal online betting app-linked money laundering case, official sources said. Rains (38) was seen interacting with CISF personnel and Enforcement Directorate (ED) staff outside the agency's office in central Delhi before he marked his attendance at around 11 am. The federal probe agency recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of the investigation linked to a sports betting app (application) named 1xBet, the sources said. The former Indian cricketer is understood to have been linked to the app through certain endorsements. The ED wants to understand his links with this app, any endorsement fee earned and the mode of communication between the two parties, according to the sources. The agency had recently called representatives of Google and Meta for questioning as part of this probe. It also conducted multi-state searches on Tuesd

ED raids against UP realty group for ₹248 cr fraud with home buyers

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches against an Uttar Pradesh-based realty group as part of a money laundering probe against it for allegedly duping investors to the tune of Rs 248 crore, official sources said. At least eight premises in Lucknow and two in Delhi are being searched in the case against Rohtas Projects Ltd., the sources said. The action is being carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The money laundering case stems from as many as 87 FIRs filed by home/commercial space buyers since 2021 alleging they were duped and not given their properties. As per a forensic audit conducted by the UP RERA (Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority), the "proceeds of crime" in this case is Rs 248 crore, the sources said. The searches are being conducted with an aim to find evidence and the assets of the promoters for attachment as they are "absconding" since the last four years, the sources claimed. The promoters of th

Singapore to sell Hermes bags, gold bars seized from money launderers

The local unit of consulting firm Deloitte has been appointed to manage the process of selling the non-cash assets