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Mumbai: In a severe setback to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Bombay High Court on Wednesday declared the arrest of ex-Vasai-Virar Municipal Commissioner (VVMC) Anilkumar Pawar as "illegal", holding that the agency lacked "tangible material" to justify his detention. The court directed Pawar's immediate release and rejected the ED's plea to stay its order. A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad quashed the arrest and remand orders passed by the designated special PMLA court on August 13 and 20, terming them unsustainable. Court Observes Lack of Prima Facie Evidence "When we say the arresting officer had no such material, we mean there was no tangible material in his possession," the bench observed. "We see no prima facie case made out against the petitioner." The bench remarked that under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), an arrest must be based on "reason to believe" supported by concrete evidence available at the time of arrest. "You can't show new material which you didn't submit at the time of arrest as grounds of arrest and reason to believe," the court said during the hearing. ED Case Relied on Insufficient Material The court noted that the ED's case rested largely on the statements of YS Reddy, a suspended former deputy director of town planning, and several architects, builders, and developers, along with certain WhatsApp chats between Reddy and Pawar. "As we glance through such WhatsApp chats, copies of which were produced in court by the Additional Solicitor General, it is seen that the conversations between Pawar and Reddy began only on January 13, 2022 -- the day the petitioner took charge as commissioner," the court observed. The judges concluded that such material did not constitute sufficient grounds to form a belief of guilt under the PMLA. Background of the Case Pawar, an IAS officer, was arrested by the ED on August 13 in connection with an alleged money-laundering racket linked to unauthorised construction approvals in Vasai-Virar. He was remanded to ED custody the next day and later to judicial custody. Challenging his arrest and remand, his counsel, senior advocate Rajiv Shakdher, argued that the alleged offences pertained to 41 unauthorised constructions between 2008 and 2021, while he had assumed office only in January 2022. His counsel contended that there was no money trail connecting him to the alleged proceeds of crime and that the arrest memo failed to meet statutory requirements under Section 19 of the PMLA. ED Maintains Pawar Was Central to Laundering Racket The ED maintained that Pawar was a "central figure" in a laundering racket worth Rs 300.92 crore, of which Rs 169 crore was linked to him. The agency cited builder testimonies, cash trail analysis, and WhatsApp exchanges to support its case. ASG Anil Singh argued that it was a "well planned conspiracy", where a responsible IAS officer, who is a municipal officer, is involved in corruption. "Before arrest, we collected information and material against him," Singh asserted. Dismissing the ED's request to stay the order, the bench observed that "considering findings recorded", it was not inclined to stay the order. "The petition succeeds to the extent that the arrest of the petitioner on August 13, 2025, is held illegal. The petitioner shall be released on production of a copy of this order," the court concluded. Also Watch: The ED recently filed a chargesheet on October 10 against Pawar, his wife Bharti, Reddy, former corporator Sitaram Gupta, and others including architects, developers, and brokers alleged to have participated in a bribery nexus. The probe pertains to alleged illegal approvals for construction projects spread over nearly 60 acres, with bribes allegedly collected at Rs 20-25 per sq ft.
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises," the Supreme Court on Wednesday told former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, held in an alleged cash-for-job scam in the state. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Chatterjee, questioned the enforcement directorate (ED) over his continued incarceration saying he cannot be kept inside for an indefinite period. "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of Rupees were recovered from your premises. Wha ...Read More >
OCCRP had published news articles against Adani; BJP MP Sambit Patra calls Rahul 'traitor of highest order' After a hiatus of two days, the Winter Session of Parliament plunged into chaos again Thursday, this time due to the ruling BJP targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of being part of a plan to "derail" India's economy and "disrupt" its democracy. Senior BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised the matter in the Lok Sabha, alleging that a "dangerous triangle" ...Read More >
Bengaluru: In a setback to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bangalore Zonal Office has provisionally attached 142 immovable properties having an approximate market value of Rs 300 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is accused number one in the case and the investigation is also conducted against others who got the illegal allotments done through the MUDA. His wife B.M. Parvathi is the second accused. "The ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 26, 2024), indicated a level of hypocrisy attached to criticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), saying ""EVMs are tampered when you lose and fine if you win". The oral remark was made by Justice Vikram Nath before dismissing a petition filed by evangelist K.A. Paul, who urged for a judicial order to return to paper ballots. Also read:EVM-VVPAT case | Cannot disclose 'source code' of EVMs, will result in misuse: Supreme Court Justice Nath, during the hearing, asked Mr. Paul whether he wanted to turn the court into a political arena. Mr. Paul sa ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted searches at 10 locations in Delhi and surrounding areas in connection with an on-going investigation of a transnational cyber enabled fraud case involving large-scale financial scams. CBI registered the said case under Sections 403 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, based on a written complaint received from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The complaint alleged that unknown ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has raised concern over terminally ill prisoners languishing in Maharashtra's jails and asked the state govt to consider proper implementation of an advisory on grant of medical bail or to place them in house arrest. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan on Monday said they visited the Yerwada central prison in Pune on Sunday and met with prisoners, particularly women inmates, and inspected the condition there. The bench referred to a ...Read More >
Bigg Boss 18: Shilpa Shirodkar is termed 'biggest backstabber' after Vivian Dsena... Deepak Kalal fights with passenger in flight? Know the truth behind viral video Delhi court fixes Nov 28 for hearing former CM Arvind Kejriwal's plea over sanction copy in... Where will the Champions Trophy 2025 be played? ICC to take final call on THIS date Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan recalls telling Amitabh Bachchan he made 'big mistake' by... Deepinder Goyal's Zomato opens Rs 8500 crore QIP share sale, sets floor price at Rs... Delhi Capitals co-owner pens emotional fare ...Read More >
Proceedings in both houses of the Parliament came to halt on Wednesday amid protests by Oppostion members over the Adani Bribery controversy, recent violence in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh and other issues. Lok Sabha proceedings were initially adjourned until 12 noon and later until Thursday, as Opposition members, including those from Congress, protested and sought to raise various issues at the start of the session. Some members from the Congress and Samajwadi Party were in the Well while other Opposition members stood in the aisle and shouted slogans. The Opposition members wanted to discus ...Read More >
Mumbai: A resident of Amboli, Andheri, was duped of Rs 1.59 crore on the pretext of "lapsing HDFC policy" by a person posing as an official of the finance department (Integrated Grievance Management System). About The Case The complainant, Sudip Kumar Ghosh, 57, received a message on WhatsApp from someone named Rajiv Sharma, the purported finance department official, who said that the former's policy was lapsing soon. Sharma claimed that if the premium and penalty were not paid, Ghosh would lose Rs 3 crore in policy benefits. Acting on his instructions, Ghosh transferred Rs 1.59 crore under ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: An Enforcement Directorate team undertaking searches in a cyber fraud linked money laundering case was allegedly attacked here on Thursday, officials said. The agency has registered a police FIR about the incident that took place at a farmhouse that was raided by ED officials in the Bijwasan area of southwest Delhi that falls under the Kapashera police station. An Enforcement Officer (EO) suffered minor injuries during the attack. He is continuing with the searches after he was given first aid, officials said. The probe pertains to a case against the PYYPL app. The alleged accus ...Read More >
The Supreme Court overturned a Madras High Court decision. The high court had refused to dismiss defamation charges against Union minister L Murugan. Murugan faced these charges over statements made in 2020. The Supreme Court accepted Murugan's argument. He said he did not intend to defame the Murasoli Trust. The case is now closed.The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed criminal defamation proceedings against Union minister L Murugan on a complaint filed by the Chennai-based Murasoli Trust for his ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 15 (VOICE) Former Minority Commission Chairman Anwar Manipaddy on Sunday refuted the bribery charge levelled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying the Congress leaders have been offering him bribes to suppress the Waqf encroachment report. CM Siddaramaiah on Saturday alleged that BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra "tried to bribe" the former Minority Commission Chairperson during the previous government with Rs 150 crore to suppress a probe into the Waqf property encroachment. Speaking to the media, Anwar Manipaddy stated that if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has any genuine co ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Monday (December 2, 2024) refused to relax emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) dealing with air pollution in the national capital till it noticed a downward trend in the AQI level. A Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih further sought the presence of the chief secretaries of NCR states to appear through video-conferencing to inform it whether or not any compensation was paid to the construction workers who were without work owing to the restrictions. Delhi air pollution: Air quality in Capital plunges to 'very po ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized cryptocurrency worth Rs 1.36 crore (USDT) from private wallets, along with unexplained cash amounting to Rs 47 lakh, during an investigation into a major money laundering case. The case pertains to cyber fraud involving illegal proceeds of approximately Rs 640 crore, generated through betting, gambling, part-time job scams, and phishing operations. The ED also recovered various incriminating documents linked to the fraud during its crackdown. Also Read | Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 Set To Boost Consumer Expe ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 11 (ANI): Rohini District Court on Wednesday issued a notice to BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj in a civil defamation suit filed by AAP leader Satyendra Jain. Jain has stated that Bansuri Swaraj made defamatory remarks in an interview with a television channel in October 2023. Senior Civil Judge Naina Gupta issued notice to Bansuri Swaraj and others and sought a response to the suit. The next date of hearing is 22 February 2025. Jain has prayed for direction to the TV channel to take down the content in question and restrain her from making further statements. Jain has cla ...Read More >
Bengaluru News: Amid a surge in cases of digital arrest across the nation, a 68-year-old senior citizen in Bengaluru reportedly lost Rs 1.94 crore to cyber fraudsters from his fixed deposit. The victim stated that the fraudsters claimed that they were from the Mumbai crime branch and threatened him with arrest if he did not pay the amount to them. The fraudsters allegedly held the man under digital arrest for almost a week and claimed that he was involved in a money laundering case linked to Indian businessman Naresh Goyal. The scam began on November 30 when the victim received a video call o ...Read More >
MahaRERA has so far issued 1,163 warrants worth ₹705.62 crore involving 442 real estate projects in Maharashtra. Of this, the MahaRERA has recovered around 29% or around ₹200 crore. Around ₹200 crore worth of compensation has so far been recovered from 283 recovery warrants issued to 139 real estate projects, MahaRERA said in a statement. Also Read: MahaRERA puts grading of real estate projects in Maharashtra on hold MahaRERA issues recovery orders against real estate developers in case of default in handing over possession of property to homebuyers. The execution of recovery warrants has to ...Read More >
The new circle rates in Gurugram have come into effect from December 1 Gurugram: People eyeing a home in Gurugram will now have to pay more as the district administration has hiked the circle rates by 10% to 30%, driven mainly by demand. Luxury residential areas like Golf Course Road are likely to see a 30% hike in circle rates. According to reports, the new circle rates have come into effect from December 1 and will be applicable at least till March 31 next year. The price hike, however, has irked the residents, who alleged that the administration should also "improve basic amenities". Gu ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025 subject to the trial court framing charges before the winter vacation and examination of vulnerable witnesses by the second and third week of January 2025. The top court said upon his release Chatterjee shall not hold any public office but can continue as MLA. The bench said that a suspect canno ...Read More >
New Delhi: Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, has moved the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma is scheduled to hear the plea on January 15. Khedkar has challenged the December 23 2024 Delhi High Court order which refused to grant her anticipatory bail. The high court said a strong prima facie case was made out against Khedkar and an investigation was required to unearth the "larger conspiracy" to manipulate the system ...Read More >
Cybercrime is quickly increasing in India, with reports surfacing daily about victims losing large sums of money to scammers. These scammers often use tactics like threatening a "digital arrest" to instill fear and pressure individuals into transferring money. They typically operate from foreign countries to evade capture by law enforcement. The Indian government, including Prime Minister Modi, is actively raising awareness about these scams. Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a warning to the public regarding international fraud calls. They advised people to be caut ...Read More >
Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations in West Bengal in connection with irregularities in the medical admissions in the state under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota. The irregularities in medical admissions come after a major recruitment scam in Bengal in 2022, where former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide were arrested. The raids and search operations were conducted in multiple locations in the state. ED reportedly started the investigation based on a complaint filed in the Electronic Complex Police Station under Bidhannagar ...Read More >
Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren got big relief from the Jharkhand High Court, which on Wednesday exempted him from personally appearing before the MP-MLA Special Court in Ranchi in a case related to alleged disobedience of Enforcement Directorate (ED) summonses. The Bench of Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary issued a notice to the ED and directed it to file a response. The next hearing has been scheduled for December 16. Earlier, the MP-MLA Special Court had dismissed Soren's plea for exemption from personal appearance on November 25, ordering him to appear on December 4. Aggrieved ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025 subject to the trial court framing charges before the winter vacation and examination of vulnerable witnesses by the second and third week of January 2025. Also Read | Atul Subhash Suicide Case: Wife Nikita Singhania Absconds, Karnataka Police Arrest Her Mother, Brother From Uttar Pradesh's Jaunp ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Undeterred by the backlash over land acquisition for his Pharma Village project in Lagacherla, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has unveiled plans for another ambitious project -- the "Future City." He aims to acquire 30,000 acres of land to establish a world-class urban development that he claims will rival global cities like New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Speaking at the MAUD Vijayotsavalu on Monday, Reddy revealed that 15,000 acres of land had already been identified in Mucherla, Begarikancha, and neighboring areas. He proposed using an additional 15,000 acres of forest ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 10 (ANI): The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday opposed the bail petition of Christian Michel James, a British national and alleged middleman, before the Delhi High Court. James is an accused in the money laundering case linked with the alleged Rs 3,600-crore Agusta Westland helicopter scam. The defence lawyer argued that the trial was unlikely to commence soon and that, even if James were convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of seven years, having already served six years in custody. However, the ED's counsel countered, stating that James posed a ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha has accused the state government of using the Musi Riverfront Development Project to displace thousands of families for the benefit of real estate developers. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Kavitha slammed the Congress-led government, alleging a lack of transparency, mounting debts, and no clear compensation plan for those affected by the project. Kavitha's remarks come after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reportedly appealed to the BJP government at the Centre for an additional Rs 14,100 crore. Kavitha described the project as one ...Read More >
In the course of the investigation, NIA seized various arms, ammunition, narcotics and drug money, digital devices, and other incriminating articles from the accused. The National Investigation Agency has chargesheeted two key aides of designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa of the banned Babbar Khalsa International outfit in a Punjab terror conspiracy case, according to the probe agency on Wednesday. Jaspreet Singh of Punjab's Ferozepur district and Baljeet Singh of Madhya Pradesh's Bar ...Read More >
Supreme Court NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday scheduled a hearing for February 4 to address petitions challenging the appointment process for the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (ECs) under the 2023 law. The apex court said, "It will be the opinion of the court under Article 141 versus legislative power to enact law." A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyal mentioned the critical issue at hand. It was informed by advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing an NGO, pointed out that incumbent CEC Rajiv Kumar is set to retire on ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 3 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed a criminal case registered against former state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel for allegedly extorting money and pressuring business entities to buy electoral bonds. Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order while allowing the petition filed by Kateel. Also Read | CII Partnership Summit 2024: S Jaishankar Calls for Stronger Global Partnerships as India Faces Growing Challenges. The FIR was registered by the Bengaluru police based on a complaint lodged by Adarsh R Iyer, a city-based activist. The FIR was also registered agai ...Read More >