The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations in Maharashtra and Gujarat as part of a money laundering investigation targeting a Malegaon-based trader suspected of misusing bank accounts to carry out transactions exceeding Rs 100 crore. The probe is linked to an FIR filed by Malegaon Police against Siraj Ahmed Harun Meman, who operates a tea and cold drinks agency, for allegedly misusing bank accounts for illegal transactions. The ED suspects the trader may have been using the funds to divert and route money for certain individuals by misusing the banking credentials of ordinary citizens. The possibility of electoral malpractice being involved is also under scrutiny.
The Opposition said the judgement will strengthen the hands of a government.
The total amount covered by interim orders of no coercive action passed by the courts in such matters is approximately Rs 67,000 crore, the government told a bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday stayed the trial court proceedings against senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate.
Searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the anti-money laundering law rose by 86 times while arrests and attachment of assets jumped by around 25 times in the 10 years since 2014 compared to the preceding nine-year period, according to official data.
The Supreme Court of India questioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the continued incarceration of former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, who is accused in a cash-for-job scam. The court expressed concern about the length of his detention and questioned the message it sends to society regarding corruption. The court also considered whether releasing him would impact the investigation and what conditions could be imposed to ensure his compliance. The court reserved its order after hearing arguments from both sides.
The court, in its order, said it appears from the report that accused has not cooperated with the investigation on the crucial aspect.
The federal agency wants to question and record Parab's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, they said.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said when an accused appears before a court in pursuance of a summons, the agency will have to apply to the court concerned to get his custody.
Last November, ED conducted searches under the provisions of the PMLA at nine locations in Telangana.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, which continued hearing on the Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest for the consecutive day, posed several queries to Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, and sought his reply on Friday.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed journalist Rana Ayyub's plea challenging summons by the Ghaziabad special court in a money laundering case, leaving it open for her to raise the issues before the trial court.
Deshmukh sent a two-page letter to the ED through his advocate Inderpal Singh and mentioned that he is sending his representative.
Balaji was arrested on June 14 last year by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister in an earlier AIADMK government.
The Bombay high court on Thursday granted bail to Deepak Kochhar, husband of former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kocchar had approached the high court after a special court in Mumbai rejected his bail in December last year. Justice P D Naik of the high court granted bail to him on merits on Thursday.
She has been called again on Wednesday for a fresh round of grilling.
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday booked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and some others in a money-laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority, taking cognisance of a recent state Lokayukta first information report (FIR), official sources said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has detected alleged irregularities after it conducted raids in a money laundering case to probe 'black marketing' of tickets for two 'highly anticipated' music concerts by British rock band Coldplay and actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh.
The bail plea was opposed by ED which had said the offence committed by him has cross border implications and if released, he would not be available for further ongoing investigation.
The agency had last week arrested Alam's personal secretary and state administrative service officer Sanjeev Kumar Lal (52) and the latter's domestic help Jahangir Alam (42) following the seizure of more than Rs 32 crore cash from a flat linked to them.
The 36-year-old actor had spent about eight hours at the agency's office on Wednesday as she was questioned and her statement was recorded in multiple sessions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Capital markets regulator Sebi on Wednesday said it will auction 27 properties of Rose Valley group of companies on November 25 at a reserve price of Rs 63.26 crore in a bid to recover money raised by the firm from the public through illicit schemes. The properties to go under the hammer include flats, buildings, land parcels and hotels located in West Bengal and Bihar, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a notice. The e-auction will be conducted on November 25 between 11 am to 1 pm.
Videocon group promoter Venugopal Dhoot on Friday appeared before a court in Mumbai in the alleged ICICI Bank-Videocon money laundering case, and was granted bail.
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the trial court judge was in a "hurry" and did not afford a reasonable opportunity to the prosecutor to oppose Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.
Chouhan and Raje were overlooked by the BJP for the chief minister posts in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively despite ensuring the party's return to power in the assembly polls held recently.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday told the Delhi high court that the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was based on 'perverse' findings as it did not consider the material demonstrating his 'neck deep involvement' in the offence of money laundering linked to the alleged excise scam.
Overall this is the eighth charge sheet filed by the ED in this case in which it has arrested 18 people so far. Last week, a similar complaint was filed by the agency against BRS leader and former Telangana chief minister Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K Kavitha and four others.
Evidence of several irregularities have been detected in the transfer of 14 sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to B M Parvathi, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to the Enforcement Directorate.
ED officials said that Subhash was produced before a special PMLA court on Sunday morning and was sent to judicial custody.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 'directly used' part of the alleged Rs 100 crore generated from the 'kickbacks' of the Delhi excise policy 'scam' by staying in a luxury hotel in Goa, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed in its charge sheet filed against the Aam Aadmi Party supremo.
Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, has told a special court in Mumbai that he hasn't been able to return to India "due to reasons beyond his control" and hence cannot be declared a "fugitive economic offender". The accused has claimed that he didn't leave India to avoid criminal prosecution nor is he refusing to return to the country. He said his passport has been suspended by Indian authorities.
While no government notification or order appointing Gaur as chairman has been made public so far, sources in the know said the appointment has been cleared.
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 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the excise policy 'scam'.
The agency said the first-of-its-kind attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act "enabled" the zoo authorities to retain the animals as the smuggler was making attempts to take them away.
The apex court rejected the preliminary objection raised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia cannot be permitted to file second set of special leave petitions to challenge the Delhi high court's May 21 verdict which denied him bail in the excise policy cases.
"The Enforcement Directorate had prayed for seven days' remand, which we vehemently opposed. The ED was granted five days' remand," Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan told reporters.
The SC observes that the arrest of Kejriwal by the CBI was unjustified.
The agency recorded the statement of the 26-year-old man at its zonal office located at Ashok Marg in Lucknow for about seven hours.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday questioned former Indian cricket team captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin for over nine hours in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the Hyderabad Cricket Association, official sources said.
The central probe agency is looking at Kundra's purported dealings with Ranjeet Bindra and a firm called Bastian Hospitality in connection with this case.