Page 2 - Money Laundering Case

Hearing in money-laundering case against Sanjay Raut adjourned till Feb 27

Rajya Sabha member Raut was present before special judge R N Rokade on Tuesday

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

Suspended Jharkhand IAS officer gets interim bail in money laundering case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to suspended Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case to look after her ailing daughter. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka also directed the Enforcement Directorate to respond in three weeks to Singhal's main bail plea. Appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said the plea was incorrect and devoid of merits. I will be the last person to oppose such pleas, the law officer said. The top court, which has now listed the suspended IAS officer's plea for hearing on February 6, has imposed some conditions, including that she will not visit Ranchi unless a court case is listed for hearing in the city. Singhal has been in custody since May 11 after raids were conducted at properties linked to her. The ED has accused Singhal, a former state mines department secretary, of money laundering and said its team seized more than Rs 36 crore

Maharashtra's ex-minister Anil Deshmukh walks out jail after 14 months

Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday stepped out of the Arthur Road Central Jail here on bail after spending almost 14 months behind bars

ED attaches assets worth Rs 1.88 cr of former Odisha govt cleaning staffer

Assets worth Rs 1.88 crore of a former cleaning assistant working with the Odisha government have been attached under the anti-money laundering law, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said Wednesday. The properties belong to Lingaraj Jena, the former 'safei mohareer' (cleaning assistant), posted in the office of the additional sub-collector (settlement) in Puri district. The money laundering case of the ED stems from a case of alleged possession of disproportionate assets filed by the Odisha vigilance directorate against Jena. The charge sheet filed by the vigilance directorate said Jena had "illicitly enriched" himself and his family members by acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, totalling Rs 1.88 crore. The ED probe in the case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) found that Jena "acquired monetary proceeds through indulgence in criminal activities, concealed it and invested the same in the acquisition of various assets.

Bombay HC refuses to extend stay on ex-Maha minister Anil Deshmukh's bail

Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh is likely to walk out of jail on Wednesday as the Bombay High Court has refused to extend its stay on an order granting him bail in a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He has been in jail since November 2021 after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in an alleged money laundering case. Deshmukh, 73, who has denied the allegations levelled against him, is in judicial custody at the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. Justice M S Karnik had granted bail to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader on December 12, but stayed the order for 10 days as the CBI sought time to challenge it in the Supreme Court. The probe agency moved the apex court but the appeal would be heard only in January 2023 as the court is closed for vacation. Last week, the high court had extended the stay till December 27 on the CBI's request. On Tuesday, the central agency sought another extension. Deshmukh's lawyers Ani

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 arrests Chhattisgarh CM's deputy secy in money laundering case

Chaurasia, considered a powerful bureaucrat, was arrested under the PMLA after questioning

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

Delhi HC allows Mehbooba Mufti to withdraw plea challenging PMLA provision

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday permitted PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti to withdraw her petition challenging the constitutional validity of a provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The lawyer appearing for the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister told a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad about her decision to withdraw the petition which was filed in March 2021. The petition also challenged the summons issued to her by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case and sought a stay which the court had earlier declined. The court was informed the issues raised by the petitioner have already been addressed by the Supreme Court in a decision. Mufti had in her plea sought declaring section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act void and inoperative, being unfairly discriminatory, bereft of safeguards, and violative of Article 20(3) of the Constitution. Section 50 of the Act empowers the ED authority to summon

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

Delhi HC grants bail to former YES Bank MD Kapoor in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to former MD and CEO of YES Bank, Rana Kapoor, in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. The order was pronounced by Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain on the bail application by Kapoor. The case pertains to Enforcement Directorate's probe against Gautam Thapar, Avantha Realty Ltd (ARL), Oyster Buildwell Pvt Ltd (OBPL), and several others alleging criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and forgery for diversion or misappropriation of public money during the 2017 to 2019 period. The agency had earlier told the trial court that the investigation revealed that approximately Rs 500 crore proceeds of crime were laundered through OBPL, Jhabua Power Limited (JPL), Jhabua Power Investment Ltd. (JPIL), Avantha Power and Infrastructure Ltd (APIL), ARL, etc. which were being controlled and beneficially owned directly or indirectly by Thapar. The trial court had, in October last year, taken cognizance of ED's ..

Attempts made to frame Sisodia in fake excise scam case: Delhi CM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the excise policy scam case "fake" on Friday and alleged that attempts were made to frame his deputy Manish Sisodia in it, whereas the CBI found nothing against him in its probe. "Manish's name is not in the CBI chargesheet. The whole case is fake. Nothing was found in the raids. A total of 800 officers found nothing in the probe for four months. Manish offered hope of a good future to crores of poor children in the country through a revolution in education. I am sorry that a conspiracy was hatched to defame such a person by implicating him in a false case," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its first chargesheet in the excise policy scam case against seven accused, including two businessmen, on Friday. Besides the two arrested businessmen, the head of a television news channel, a Hyderabad-based liquor trader, a Delhi-based liquor distributor and two excise department officials have been ..

Delhi High Court grants bail to Rana Kapoor in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted regular bail to former Managing Director and CEO of YES Bank Rana Kapoor in a Rs 466.51 crore money laundering case.The case is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).The Bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain on Friday granted bail to him.The trial court in October last year, took cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Chargesheet (Prosecution Complaint) filed against Avantha group promoter Gautam Thapar involving Yes Bank's Rana Kapoor and several employees in connection with money laundering case.According to the ED, an ECIR was registered against Gautam Thapar, Avantha Realty Ltd., Oyster Buildwell Pvt. Ltd. and others, alleging criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery for diversion/ misappropriation of public money during the period 2017 to 2019.

Not a country where one is told how to follow religion: Satyendar Jain

Jailed Aam Aadmi Party minister Satyendar Kumar Jain on Thursday told a Delhi court that "we're not a country where we are told how to follow a religion". Jain made the submission during the hearing of his application, in which he has alleged that the Tihar jail administration had stopped giving him the food allowed "as per law" during his religious fast. *He was arrested in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.* "At least right now we're not a country where we are told how to follow a religion. State is nobody to tell how to follow. My religion is my religion," Jain's counsel Rahul Mehra told Special Judge Vikas Dhull while reading the relevant rules on fast on religious beliefs inside jails. During the arguments, Mehra also accused authorities of being "petty". "State should be large hearted not petty. They can provide the four nuts that are prescribed and fruits and ...

Delhi court takes cognisance of ED charge sheet against PFI in PMLA case

A Delhi court on Monday took cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and three of its members in a money laundering case related to alleged terrorism-related activities. Special Judge Shailender Malik took note of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) complaint (the agency's equivalent of a charge sheet) and directed jail authorities to produce the accused -- Perwez Ahmed, Mohd Ilias and Abdul Muqeet before the court on December 16, when it will further hear the matter. Ahmed was the president of the PFI's Delhi state unit while Ilias was its general secretary and Muqeet its office secretary, according to the charge sheet filed by ED Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta. They were arrested on September 22 in the case related to alleged laundering of Rs 120 crore. The ED had filed the case based on an FIR lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for alleged terrorism related activities punishable under the string

ED grills Jharkhand CM Soren for over nine hours in 'illegal' mining case

According to sources, a team of three ED officials asked him about 100 questions on Thursday, and the Chief Minister can be again called for further questioning.

ED conducts searches at 16 locations in Bengaluru in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said that it has recently conducted search operations at 16 locations in Bengaluru in connection with a money laundering case

Conspiracies against me will be foiled, says Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

A day ahead of his appearance before the ED in a money laundering case, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Wednesday slammed the BJP and said that every conspiracy hatched against him will be thwarted. In view of the ED's summons the ruling UPA in the state is holding back-to-back meetings. JMM is holding a separate meeting, while Congress has called a party legislators' meeting in the evening. A meeting of coalition partners is also likely to be held at the chief minister's residence in the evening, where RJD, which has a lone MLA, will be present. Soren slammed the BJP for the federal agency's summons but did not name it. By hook or by crook, they want to remove me from power. I will foil their conspiracy. He was speaking at a 'Milan Samaroh' in the chief minister's residence where a former BJP legislator of Giridih district, Jai Prakash Verma joined Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) along with his supporters. Some RJD leaders too joined the JMM at the programme. Soren said, We

Delhi court grants bail to Jacqueline Fernandez in money laundering case

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to actor Jacqueline Fernandez in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving conman Sukesh Chandrashekar. Special Judge Shailendra Malik granted the relief on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety of like amount. The judge had on August 31 taken cognizance of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate and asked Fernandez to appear before the court. Fernandez, who was summoned by the ED several times in connection with the investigation, was named as an accused for the first time in the supplementary charge sheet. The ED's earlier charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet did not mention her as an accused. The documents, however, had mentioned the details of the statements recorded by Fernandez and fellow actor Nora Fatehi.