Page 17 - Enforcement Directorate

AAP supporters worldwide condemn Kejriwal's arrest; observe day of fast

Members and supporters of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) globally have observed a day of protest and fasting in solidarity with party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. He is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail. AAP volunteers in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia gathered in front of Indian embassies and popular locations on Monday to protest Kejriwal's arrest and call for his immediate release, a media release said. "Arvind Kejriwal is a symbol of hope for millions of Indians who are fighting for a more just and equitable society," said AAP member Jeswanth Reddy from Los Angeles. "His arrest is an attack on democracy and the right to dissent. We will not be silenced." AAP volunteers in Washington DC

Arrest legal, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to remain in jail: Delhi High Court

Court says material collected by ED reveals CM 'conspired', 'used proceeds of crime'

Delhi HC denies Arvind Kejriwal's plea against arrest, CM to remain in jail

The Delhi High Court stated that the Delhi chief minister "conspired with others" and was "actively involved in using proceeds of crime

ED makes fresh arrest in money laundering case against Hemant Soren

The Enforcement Directorate has made a fresh arrest in connection with its ongoing money laundering investigation against former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, official sources said Tuesday. Mohammed Saddam was lodged in jail as part of an alleged land scam case of Jharkhand and the central agency took his custody under the anti-money laundering law after an application was made to the court, the sources said. This is the third arrest in the case after the 48-year-old Soren and former state government revenue department sub inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad. Saddam is alleged to have "forged" land records related to the 8.86 acre land in Ranchi that the ED has alleged was illegally acquired by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader. Soren was arrested by the ED in January shortly after he resigned as the CM. He is currently lodged at the Birsa Munda jail at Hotwar in Ranchi under judicial custody.

Chhattisgarh liquor scam: SC ruling exposed Centre and ED, claims Baghel

Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has claimed the Supreme Court's decision in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh had exposed the Centre for using the Enforcement Directorate to target opposition parties. The apex court on Monday quashed the money laundering case against former IAS officer Anil Tuteja and his son Yash in the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam, saying there were no proceeds of the crime. In a post on X on Monday, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Baghel said the commitment of agencies like the ED should be towards the Constitution and not any political party. "Shameful political misuse of ED has been proved and the Modi government has been exposed. Today's decision of the Supreme Court has proved that at the behest of BJP, the ED has been conspiring to defame the opposition parties by making every case a case of money laundering," Baghel claimed in the post. The ED registered a case in the alleged liquor scam just before the 2023 assembly po

Drugs money laundering case: ED conducts raids in TN against Jaffer Sadiq

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out raids in multiple cities in Tamil Nadu as part of a drugs trafficking-linked money laundering investigation against former DMK functionary Jaffer Sadiq and others, officials said. As many as 25 premises in the state capital Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli are being searched by ED officials, accompanied by an escort of central paramilitary forces, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The premises of Sadiq, who is also a producer of Tamil films, film director Ameer and some others are being covered, they said. Sadiq, 36, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) last month for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of about 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine with a street value of more than Rs 2,000 crore. The ED took cognisance of this NCB case and some other FIRs to file the money laundering case against Sadiq and others. The NCB has said that Sadiq's links with Tamil and

AAP govt slams 'total confusion' in L-G's office over transferred subjects

The Delhi government on Monday slammed Lt Governor VK Saxena over a letter he wrote to the MHA in which he accused its ministers of not attending a meeting called by him, and questioned the role of the LG's office in the subjects transferred to the AAP government. The LG Secretariat, in a letter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), said the Delhi ministers refused to attend a meeting called by Saxena to discuss the functioning of their ministries following the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy and is now lodged in Tihar jail here. In response, the Delhi government hit out at the "total confusion in LG's office regarding his role in the subjects transferred to the elected government of Delhi as per the Constitution of India". In a statement, the Delhi government said, "In the note sent just few days back by LG's ..

Delhi excise policy scam case: BRS leader K Kavitha denied interim bail

A court here on Monday denied interim bail to BRS leader K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the plea, saying the stage was not right to enlarge her on interim bail. Kavitha had approached the court for interim bail, saying her 16-year-old son has exams and needs his mother's "moral and emotional support". The ED had opposed the submission, claiming Kavitha destroyed evidence and influenced witnesses in the case. The agency had alleged that Kavitha is a key member of the "South Group", which has been accused of paying the ruling AAP in Delhi kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital. Kavitha, 46, was arrested from her Banjara Hills residence on March 15 amid protests by BRS supporters. She was then sent to seven-day ED custody the next day. Her custodial interrogation was later extended by three days. She was sent to 14-day judicial custody last Tuesday.

ED questions Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar in 'Khichdi' scam case

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar was on Monday questioned for almost eight hours by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged irregularities in the distribution of khichdi by the Mumbai civic body during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirtikar, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena's nominee from the Mumbai Northwest Lok Sabha constituency, appeared before the agency at its office in south Mumbai at around 11.30 am, an official said. He left the ED office after 7 PM. Earlier in the day, several Shiv Sena (UBT) workers raised slogans against ED outside its office in support of Kirtikar. Kirtikar had failed to appear before the federal anti-money laundering agency on March 27 and sought some time through his lawyer. The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW). According to police, alleged irregularities took place while giving contracts by the BMC for providing khichdi' to migrants during the pandemic. The ED in January arre

Excise policy case: ED questions Kejriwal's PA, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal assistant Bibhav Kumar and AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak in the excise policy-linked money laundering case, officials said. Their statement is being recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. Both of them have been questioned in this case earlier too by the ED. Sources said Kumar's questioning was essential in connection with the engagements of Kejriwal. The 55-year-old CM, also the national convenor of the AAP, was arrested by the ED in this case last month. He is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail under judicial custody. The agency had alleged in its earlier charge sheets that at least 36 accused, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Kumar, "destroyed, used or changed" 170 phones to conceal evidence of "kickbacks" worth thousands of crores of rupees in the alleged scam. The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identi

Ahead of LS elections, AAP launches 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' campaign

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the AAP on Monday launched a "Jail ka Jawab Vote Se" campaign to seek public support for the party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail. Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak said, "Kejriwal was arrested as part of a big conspiracy. It is the first time that a sitting chief minister has been arrested during the Lok Sabha polls. We are launching the campaign 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' and we want you to empower Kejriwal." As part of the campaign, Pathak said, AAP leaders and workers will visit the four Lok Sabha constituencies from where it has fielded candidates. AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai asked people to respond to "dictatorship" with their votes. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who was released on bail in the same case last week, urged people to recall Kejriwal's face when they go to vote. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with a m

TMC leaders to meet EC officials today regarding misuse of central agencies

A 10-member Trinamool Congress delegation will meet Election Commission officials in New Delhi on Monday to complain about "misuse" of central investigating agencies against TMC leaders and party candidates. The delegation will be led by TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien and MP Dola Sen is also likely to meet the full bench of the Election Commission. "The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties," Sen told reporters at the airport before leaving for New Delhi. The TMC alleged on Sunday an "unholy alliance" between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and BJP ahead of elections, prompting the central investigating agency to deny any mala fide intention and label the entire controversy as "unfortunate". A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 bl

Highlights: Oppn missed chances; BJP may win 300 LS seats, says Prashant Kishor

LIVE updates: PM Modi's Madhya Pradesh campaign ahead of LS polls, AAP leaders to sit on a day-long fast at Jantar Mantar, and more. Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Top AAP leaders hold collective fast to protest against Kejriwal's arrest

Top leaders of Aam Aadmi Party gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Sunday for a day-long fast to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and the party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Similar protests were being held in other states as well as by Indians abroad, including at Harvard Square in Boston, the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, in New York Times Square and Toronto, London and Melbourne among others, party leaders said. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in AAP-ruled Punjab joined a collective fast at freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's village Khatkar Kalan, they said. Many senior AAP leaders, including Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, Deputy Speaker Rakhi Bila, ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai and Imran Hussain attended the day-long 'Samuhik Upwas' at Jantar Mantar in the national capital from 11 am. The AAP's Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai appealed to people to join the fast to protest against Kejriwal's arrest. He alleged tha

ED uses fridge, smart TV invoices as evidence in PMLA case against Soren

Invoices of a refrigerator and smart TV are among the evidence the Enforcement Directorate used to support its claim that Jharkhand's ex-chief minister Hemant Soren acquired 8.86 acres of land worth more than Rs 31 crore illegally. The federal probe agency obtained these receipts from two Ranchi-based dealers and attached those to its charge sheet filed against the 48-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and four others last month. The special PMLA court of Judge Rajiv Ranjan in Ranchi took cognisance of the prosecution complaint on April 4. Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 in a money laundering case related to the alleged land grab, shortly after he resigned as chief minister. He is currently in judicial custody in Birsa Munda jail at Hotwar in Ranchi. According to the ED, the two gadgets were purchased in the name of the family members of one Santosh Munda who told the agency that he has been "residing as a caretaker of the property of Hemant Soren on the said l

ED attaches properties in police sub-inspector recruitment case in J&K

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday attached movable properties in the form of bank balances to the tune of Rs one crore related to some of the accused, including mastermind Yatin Yadav, in the 2022 police sub-inspector scam in Jammu and Kashmir, the agency said. The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) conducted the examination in March 2022 but the selected list of 1,200 candidates was cancelled by the administration in July following allegations of paper leak and malpractice. The CBI, which was handed over the case, filed its chargesheet against 33 accused, including Yadav from Haryana, in November 2022. Subsequently, the ED, Jammu, registered a case against the accused under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED, Jammu has attached movable properties in the form of bank balances relating to accused Yatin Yadav, M/s New Global Fumigation Corporation, Prop Yatin Yadav and his associate Lokesh Kumar, to the tune of Rs 1 crore ..

BRS leader K Kavitha moves court opposing CBI plea to quiz her in Tihar

BRS leader K Kavitha, arrested in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, moved a court here on Saturday opposing a CBI plea that sought her interrogation in Tihar jail in a corruption case related to the alleged scam. The court on Friday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to quiz Kavitha in Tihar. The order was passed on the plea filed by the CBI seeking the court's permission to interrogate Kavitha in judicial custody. Advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for Kavitha, told the court that CBI thwarted the due process of law by filing the plea "behind her back". "I have grave apprehension that CBI may not have divulged true facts in order to obtain a favourable order from the court," he told the court and urged it to keep the order in abeyance until Kavitha's side is heard. The court is likely to hear her plea later in on Saturday. Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy s

Day after EC notice, Atishi asks ED to share details of actions against BJP

A day after getting a notice from the Election Commission, Delhi minister Atishi on Saturday asked the ED to reveal the action taken against BJP leaders in connection with alleged money laundering cases. Addressing a press conference here, the senior AAP leader lashed out at the Election Commission accusing the poll body of working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The notice was issued to Atishi by the EC over her claims that the BJP had approached her to either join the party or be prepared to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate within a month. "On the basis of mere doubt, the ED arrested AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia, and even the national convener of our party Arvind Kejriwal ji, even as no money trail was found against them. "What action has the ED taken against the BJP leaders where the investigation agency has been able to establish a money trail," she asked. The AAP had last month asked the ED to file a case against the BJP, alleging that

Kejriwal can't be given special privileges to govern from jail: ED to court

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday opposed the plea moved by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before a city court for more time with his lawyer, saying special privileges cannot be extended to him merely because he wants to run the government from inside the jail. The ED made its submissions before the special judge for CBI and ED cases Kaveri Baweja, who reserved the order on Kejriwal's plea for Monday. Kejriwal's counsel told the judge that multiple cases were pending against the politician and that one hour a week was insufficient for a person to understand and give instructions. This is the most basic legal right that I am asking to meet my advocate. Sanjay Singh was granted three meetings when he had only five or eight cases, the counsel said. The ED opposed Kejriwal's prayer for five meetings with his lawyer every week, saying it was was against the jail manual. The central probe agency told the court that Kejriwal was already allowed to have two meetings with his law

DJB money laundering: Court issues notice to ED on bail plea of accused CA

The Rouse Avenue court on April 3, took cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate's charge sheet filed in an alleged money laundering case