Corruption In India

NAN corruption case: SC grants pre-arrest bail to former Chhattisgarh AG

The Supreme Court on Friday granted pre-arrest bail to former Chhattisgarh advocate general Satish Chandra Verma in relation to the Nagrik Apurti Nigam scam case. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta asked Verma to cooperate in the investigation. During the hearing, senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Sumeer Sodhi, appearing for Verma, submitted that the Chhattisgarh High Court has wrongly concluded that there was a need for custodial interrogation. They submitted that no offence whatsoever was made out on the basis of allegations. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for the state government, opposed the anticipatory bail saying there was enough material against the law officer. The Chhattisgarh government had earlier told the apex court that it would not take any coercive steps against Verma in relation to the Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam case and issued notice to the state government. The allegations against Verma in the FIR are that he helped NAN

Goa : AAP chief Palekar claims harassment by police in land grabbing case

Goa Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Amit Palekar was on Friday questioned for a third time by police in connection with a video released by a man accused in multiple land grab cases who escaped from crime branch custody last year, but was arrested later. Palekar, carrying a toothbrush and toothpaste, appeared before the Old Goa police in the morning and was questioned for around an hour. AAP MLA Cruz Silva was present with his party colleague at the police station in a show of solidarity. Talking to reporters after recording his statement, the Goa AAP president alleged political vendetta and said police were summoning him repeatedly, while ignoring others, including a senior police officer and a BJP MLA who were named by the land grab accused, Siddiqui Suleman Khan (55), in the video. Khan released two videos in December last year and in one of them, he claimed the police helped him escape from custody. In the second video, he claimed he recorded the first clip at Palekar's behest.

173 public servants investigated for graft yet to be suspended: ACB report

The ACB report also highlighted that 22 public servants convicted in corruption cases are still waiting for dismissal

India ranks 96 out of 180 countries in Corruption Perceptions Index 2024

India ranked 96 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024 as its overall score dropped a point to 38, according to a Transparency International report released on Tuesday. The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of zero to 100, where "zero" is highly corrupt and "100" is very clean. In 2024, India's overall score was 38 while it was 39 in 2023 and 40 in 2022. India's rank in 2023 was 93. Among India's neighbours, Pakistan (135) and Sri Lanka (121) grappled with their respective low rankings, while Bangladesh's ranking stood further down at 149. China ranked 76. Denmark topped the list of being the least-corrupt nation, followed by Finland and Singapore. The 2024 CPI showed that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but a change for the better is happening in many countries. Research has also revealed that .

RG Kar case: HC says corruption has serious impact on public confidence

Hearing an appeal by R G Kar Medical College's former principal Sandip Ghosh seeking postponement of framing of charges in a financial irregularities case, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday observed that corruption in high places has serious impact on public confidence in the affairs of the state. The division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that the special court, before which the trial in the case is to be heard, may fix a date prior to the next hearing of the matter at the high court. Ghosh and four others were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case of alleged financial irregularities at the medical establishment during his tenure as the principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Holding that the allegations are very serious, the division bench, also comprising Justice Gaurang Kanth, said that it was informed that the respondent accused persons are in judicial remand at present. "Corruption in high places has serious impact on pub

ACB to take legal action against Kejriwal, AAP leaders on poaching claims

ACB had also issued a notice to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, requesting his presence for an investigation into the allegations of bribes being offered to party MLAs

ACB registers DA case against Telangana official, finds Rs 4 cr assets

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana registered a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case against the Deputy Transport Commissioner, Warangal district, and found assets worth over Rs 4 crore allegedly linked to him and his family members. The case was registered against the official after he allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income by indulging in corrupt practices and dubious means during his service, an ACB release said here. As this is an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, preliminary searches were conducted on Friday at his house and various places belonging to him and his relatives. During the searches, property documents related to houses, open plots and agricultural lands were found in the official's name and in the names of his family members. Furthermore, bank balance amount, household articles, vehicles (four wheelers-3, two-wheeler-1), gold and silver ornaments and 23 foreign liquor bottles were found. The total

SC to hear Union minister Kumaraswamy's plea in graft case on Feb 25

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear on February 25, the plea of former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy seeking quashing of the proceedings in a corruption case. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manohan said it would decide the limited question of law over cognisance on which it issued notice in January, 2021. On January 18, 2021, the top court issued notice to the complainant one M S Mahadeva Swamy and the Karnataka government. Since then the matter was listed several times and no substantial hearing took place on Kumaraswamy's plea against the October 9, 2020 high court order refusing to quash the proceedings against him. The case relates to a private complaint filed by Swamy before the special judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in Bengaluru seeking prosecution of Kumaraswamy and others. The complaint alleged that de-notification of two plots of land in Halagevaderahalli Village, Uttarahalli Hobii, Begaluru South Taluk, during his tenure as ch

ED gets MHA sanction to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case

The Union Home Ministry has granted sanction to the Enforcement Directorate to prosecute former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy linked money laundering case, officials said. The federal agency has filed a chargesheet against the 56-year-old politician before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here last year after arresting him in March. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently granted the required sanction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for prosecuting Kejriwal under the anti-money laundering law in the Delhi excise policy case, officials said. The development comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly on February 5. Kejriwal has been made made an accused in his personal capacity as well as in the capacity of being the national convenor of his political party AAP. The former chief minister was called the "kingpin and key conspirator" of the Delhi excise "scam" by the ED. It was alleged that he acted in

Formula E race corruption case: BRS leader Rama Rao appears before ACB

Ahead of his appearance before the Anti-Corruption Bureau, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao on Thursday said his agenda when he was minister in the previous regime was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it and Formula-E race was a part of that ambitious vision. Rao, also known as KTR, was summoned by the ACB for questioning in a case related to "unauthorised" payments to conduct Formula E race, on Thursday at 10 AM. "Worked tirelessly for bringing a prestigious event to India, to enhance the Brand image of Hyderabad & Telangana globally Agenda was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it. Formula-E race was a part of the effort to realise this ambitious vision," he said in a post on 'X'. He further said the intent was to make TMV (Telangana Mobility Valley) clusters the epicentre for innovation, research and manufacturing of electric vehicles creating employment and ...

BJP points at Kejriwal's 'deeds'; AAP says claims based on forged papers

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva on Monday claimed that a CAG report raised 139 questions related to the former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's previous Flagstaff Road residence and exposed his "black deeds" Hitting back, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh termed it as a classic diversionary tactic by the BJP and claimed that the saffron party had lost the narrative war in the run-up to the assembly elections. Addressing a press conference, Sachdeva said that the Comptroller and Auditor General's report of 2022 cited an expenditure of Rs 33.66 crore on the "Sheesh Mahal" but the actual cost was far higher. "This report pertains to expenditure till 2022. There is no revelation on expenses of 2023 and 2024 and, according to our information, the real cost runs up to Rs 75-80 crore if the inventory of the items in the bungalow is included," he claimed. The BJP has sharpened its attack on Kejriwal ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, alleging corruption related to the 6, Flagstaf

66% businesses surveyed paid a bribe in the last 12 months: Report

Around 66 per cent of business firms surveyed across 159 districts admitted that they paid bribes in the last 12 months, a report by online platform LocalCricles said on Sunday. The survey, which received 18,000 responses, found that 54 per cent were forced to pay bribes while 46 per cent paid voluntarily to expedite the process. "As many businesses would vouch anonymously, bribes remain a way of life when wanting to get government departments to speed up the permit or compliance process, even getting duplicate copy of the authority license or anything to do with property matters. 66 per cent of businesses surveyed paid a bribe in the last 12 months," the report said. Only 16 per cent of businesses surveyed claimed that they always managed to get work done without paying a bribe and 19 per cent said they "did not have a need" to do so. "Of businesses that paid bribes in the last 12 months, 54 per cent were forced to do so, while 46 per cent paid it for timely processing. This kind

AgustaWestland: SC seeks CBI reply on bail plea of British national James

The Supreme Court on Friday sought the CBI's response on a plea filed by alleged middleman Christian Michel James seeking bail in the purported Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland scam case. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale issued notice to the CBI and directed it to file its reply within four weeks. "Issue notice, returnable four weeks," the bench said. The alleged scam pertains to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from chopper design and manufacturing company AgustaWestland. James moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's September 25 order refusing him bail in the case. James, a British national, was extradited from Dubai in December, 2018, and was subsequently arrested. The high court previously dismissed his bail application, observing there was no significant change in circumstances from the time when his earlier bail pleas were rejected. He is among the three alleged middlemen probed in the case with the other two being Guido Haschke and Carlo ...

Excise policy 'scam': Delhi HC asks ED to reply to Manish Sisodia's plea

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Enforcement Directorate's response on a plea of AAP leader Manish Sisodia challenging a trial court's order taking cognisance of a chargesheet filed in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued the notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and fixed Sisodia's plea on December 20, when AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's similar petition is also listed for further proceedings. The former deputy chief minister sought the high court's direction to set aside the trial court's order on the ground that the special judge took cognisance of the chargesheet in the absence of any sanction for the prosecution of the former Delhi chief minister, who was a public servant when the offence was allegedly committed. Sisodia is out on bail in the case. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders. The De

Coal levy 'scam': SC extends interim bail of ex-Chhattisgarh CM's dy secy

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the interim bail of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel's deputy secretary Saumya Chaurasia, an accused in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal-levy scam. The apex court had on September 25 granted her interim bail, noting that she had already undergone custody of more than one year and nine months and charges were yet to be framed. The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan. The bench sought to know about the current status of the case. Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, appearing for Chaurasia, said the trial has not yet commenced. "Interim bail to continue," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing in the last week of January. The top court was hearing Chaurasia's plea challenging an August 28 order of the Chhattisgarh High Court which had denied her bail. In its September 25 order, the apex court had directed the state government not to reinstate her in service

ED launches new raids against 'lottery king' Santiago for money laundering

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted fresh searches against Chennai-based 'lottery king' Santiago Martin, the single biggest donor to political parties with over Rs 1,300 crore in electoral bonds, as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. The action comes after the Madras High Court recently allowed the ED to proceed against Martin as the Tamil Nadu Police had decided to close the predicate or primary FIR against him and a few others and a lower court accepted this police plea. Sources said multiple premises linked to Martin were being searched on Thursday in Chennai and some other places. The federal agency last year attached assets worth about Rs 457 crore in a case against Martin linked to an alleged loss of over Rs 900 crore to the Sikkim government by fraudulent sale of the state lottery in Kerala. Future Gaming Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. is the master distributor of Sikkim lotteries and the ED has been investigating Martin, known as the .

Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges corruption in housing for poor, calls for probe

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged a scam in the housing for the poor and said the DDA housing units meant for slum dwellers in the city are sold illegally to ineligible individuals. No immediate response was available from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the BJP on the allegations. Bharadwaj alleged in a press conference that these DDA flats are being sold to ineligible individuals, undermining the very purpose of the initiative aimed at aiding the poor. The slum dwellers, who have been displaced by the Central's government actions, were promised housing that is now falling prey to corruption and this cannot happen without the lieutenant governor's consent, he alleged. "These flats cannot be sacrificed to corruption without the consent of the Central government's DDA. Such a big scam and corruption were happening right under the nose of the BJP LG and it is not possible that Lieutenant Governor Vinay Saxena was not aware of it," he said. Bharadwaj also

CVC flags 34 non-compliance major cases in action against corruption

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has flagged 34 major cases of non-compliance by government departments, which diluted its advice of acting against "corrupt" officials. In some cases, these "corrupt" officials were either exonerated or punishment against them were diluted by the departments concerned, according to the CVC's annual report 2023. Of the total, a highest of seven cases involved are under the coal ministry, five in the State Bank of India (SBI), four in the IDBI Bank, three under the steel ministry and two each under the power ministry and NBCC (India) Limited, it said. One such instance each was in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), the Ministry of Railways, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) among others, according to the report. One each case of deviation from the CVC's advice was also from the ...

Excise case: Delhi court dismisses Kejriwal's pleas against summons

A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's two petitions challenging the summons issued to him on complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Special Judge Rakesh Syal dismissed the revision petition filed by Kejriwal, saying there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. Kejriwal had moved the sessions court against an order passed by a magisterial court directing him to appear before it on the ED's complaint. The outgoing Delhi chief minister had challenged the summons issued by the magisterial court after taking cognisance of two complaints filed by the ED over avoidance of summons issued to him. The ED had filed complaints before the magisterial court seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for skipping multiple summonses issued to him in the case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

Excise policy scam: SC to deliver verdict on Kejriwal's bail plea on Sep 13

The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver on Friday its verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petitions seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the CBI in the excise policy "scam". As per the cause list of September 13 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is slated to pronounce the verdict.