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Tag: CBI

  • Not scared of being arrested, BJP wants to send me to jail in ‘fake’ case: Sisodia on CBI questioning

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday dubbed as “fake” the case lodged against him by the CBI in the excise policy matter, and claimed that his questioning was taking place as the BJP was “scared” of the AAP’s “popularity” in poll-bound Gujarat.

    Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said Sisodia was going to be arrested in a bid to stop him from campaigning in Gujarat.

    Sisodia sought the blessings of his mother at his Mathura road residence before leaving for the CBI headquarters in a procession accompanied by several leaders and volunteers in cars and bikes with patriotic songs being played in the background.

    Making two stopovers on the way, Sisodia addressed AAP workers at the party headquarters where he asserted that he was not scared of being arrested and also visited Raj Ghat to seek blessings of the Father of the Nation.

    ALSO READ: Delhi CM Kejriwal compares Sisodia, Jain with Bhagat Singh

    “I will fully cooperate with the investigation and I am not scared of being arrested,” he told AAP workers.

    FAAP office the deputy chief minister reached Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial to pay homage to the Father of the Nation.rom the

    “I paid tribute to Bapu against whom also fake cases were registered. The BJP wants to send me to jail in a fake case. I am proud that I will be of some use to the country,” Sisodia told PTI.

    He also claimed that his questioning and possible arrest were taking place as the BJP was scared of the AAP’s “popularity” in Gujarat.

    Sisodia is being questioned by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in implementation of the now-scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22.

    Earlier in a series of tweets, Sisodia said, “A completely fake case has been prepared against me. Nothing was found in the raid at my residence, search of my bank lockers and enquiries made at my village. It is a totally fake case.”

    ALSO READ| Excise policy scam: CBI summons Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia for questioning

    The Delhi deputy chief minister, who also holds the excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, is one of the main accused in the FIR registered in the matter by the CBI.

    Kejriwal also termed the case against his deputy as “fake”. “Nothing was found in the raid at the residence of Manish and his bank locker. The case against him is totally fake.

    He had to go to Gujarat for campaigning that’s why he is being arrested but the campaigning will not stop.

    “Every person in Gujarat is campaigning for the AAP in Gujarat,” Kejriwal tweeted.

    Sisodia also linked his questioning with elections in Gujarat, saying campaigning in the state will not stop even after he goes to jail.

    Every Gujarati has awakened now and everyone there is campaigning for good schools, hospitals, jobs and electricity, Sisodia said and added the upcoming polls in Gujarat will be a “movement”.

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday dubbed as “fake” the case lodged against him by the CBI in the excise policy matter, and claimed that his questioning was taking place as the BJP was “scared” of the AAP’s “popularity” in poll-bound Gujarat.

    Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said Sisodia was going to be arrested in a bid to stop him from campaigning in Gujarat.

    Sisodia sought the blessings of his mother at his Mathura road residence before leaving for the CBI headquarters in a procession accompanied by several leaders and volunteers in cars and bikes with patriotic songs being played in the background.

    Making two stopovers on the way, Sisodia addressed AAP workers at the party headquarters where he asserted that he was not scared of being arrested and also visited Raj Ghat to seek blessings of the Father of the Nation.

    ALSO READ: Delhi CM Kejriwal compares Sisodia, Jain with Bhagat Singh

    “I will fully cooperate with the investigation and I am not scared of being arrested,” he told AAP workers.

    FAAP office the deputy chief minister reached Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial to pay homage to the Father of the Nation.rom the

    “I paid tribute to Bapu against whom also fake cases were registered. The BJP wants to send me to jail in a fake case. I am proud that I will be of some use to the country,” Sisodia told PTI.

    He also claimed that his questioning and possible arrest were taking place as the BJP was scared of the AAP’s “popularity” in Gujarat.

    Sisodia is being questioned by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in implementation of the now-scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22.

    Earlier in a series of tweets, Sisodia said, “A completely fake case has been prepared against me. Nothing was found in the raid at my residence, search of my bank lockers and enquiries made at my village. It is a totally fake case.”

    ALSO READ| Excise policy scam: CBI summons Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia for questioning

    The Delhi deputy chief minister, who also holds the excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, is one of the main accused in the FIR registered in the matter by the CBI.

    Kejriwal also termed the case against his deputy as “fake”. “Nothing was found in the raid at the residence of Manish and his bank locker. The case against him is totally fake.

    He had to go to Gujarat for campaigning that’s why he is being arrested but the campaigning will not stop.

    “Every person in Gujarat is campaigning for the AAP in Gujarat,” Kejriwal tweeted.

    Sisodia also linked his questioning with elections in Gujarat, saying campaigning in the state will not stop even after he goes to jail.

    Every Gujarati has awakened now and everyone there is campaigning for good schools, hospitals, jobs and electricity, Sisodia said and added the upcoming polls in Gujarat will be a “movement”.

  • Manish Sisodia arrives at CBI headquarters for questioning in excise policy case

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday started questioning Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged scam in Delhi excise policy being probed by it, officials said.

    Sisodia went to his party office in the morning from where he proceeded to Rajghat. A large number of his supporters gathered outside his residence ahead of his questioning. He arrived at the CBI headquarters around 11.15 am and was taken straight to the first floor of the Anti-Corruption Branch, the officials said.

    The CBI had registered an FIR in a special court here in August against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means, or by the exercise of personal influence.

    Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy, which was brought out in November last year, the officials said.

    ALSO READ: Delhi CM Kejriwal compares Sisodia, Jain with Bhagat Singh

    Following the registration of the FIR, the CBI had conducted searches at the premises of Sisodia and opened his locker at a bank in Ghaziabad, they said.

    The FIR has flagged payments in crores allegedly made to “close associates” of Sisodia by Sameer Mahendru, owner of Indospirits, one of the liquor traders actively involved in irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy.

    The FIR alleged that Sisodia’s “close associates” Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Pvt.

    ALSO READ: Probes ordered by L-G politically motivated, unconstitutional: Manish Sisodia

    Limited in Gurugram, Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey were “actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees” for the accused public servants.

    The CBI is also questioning Raghava Reddy, the son of YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, in the case, officials said.

    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday started questioning Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged scam in Delhi excise policy being probed by it, officials said.

    Sisodia went to his party office in the morning from where he proceeded to Rajghat. A large number of his supporters gathered outside his residence ahead of his questioning. He arrived at the CBI headquarters around 11.15 am and was taken straight to the first floor of the Anti-Corruption Branch, the officials said.

    The CBI had registered an FIR in a special court here in August against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means, or by the exercise of personal influence.

    Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy, which was brought out in November last year, the officials said.

    ALSO READ: Delhi CM Kejriwal compares Sisodia, Jain with Bhagat Singh

    Following the registration of the FIR, the CBI had conducted searches at the premises of Sisodia and opened his locker at a bank in Ghaziabad, they said.

    The FIR has flagged payments in crores allegedly made to “close associates” of Sisodia by Sameer Mahendru, owner of Indospirits, one of the liquor traders actively involved in irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy.

    The FIR alleged that Sisodia’s “close associates” Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Pvt.

    ALSO READ: Probes ordered by L-G politically motivated, unconstitutional: Manish Sisodia

    Limited in Gurugram, Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey were “actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees” for the accused public servants.

    The CBI is also questioning Raghava Reddy, the son of YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, in the case, officials said.

  • Delhi excise policy scam: Sisodia to appear before CBI today

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: With the CBI summoning Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to appear before it on Monday for questioning over his alleged role in the excise policy rip-off, his Aam Aadmi Party claimed he would be arrested to stymie its gains in poll-bound Gujarat.

    This is the first time the CBI has summoned Sisodia, who is the primary accused in the case related to the now-scrapped liquor policy, for questioning. Sisodia took to Twitter to say he will visit the CBI headquarters at 11 am and provide full cooperation to the probe.

    “The CBI raided my house for 14 hours, but nothing came out of it. They searched my bank locker and found nothing. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation,” he tweeted in Hindi.

    The AAP claimed the BJP is rattled by its rise in Gujarat where it is gearing up to give a tough fight. “To shift the agenda from the growing anti-incumbency against its 27-year-long tenure, the BJP now wants to dent the AAP’s poll run, which is why they have conspired to have Manish Sisodia arrest at the CBI headquarters tomorrow,” party leader Atishi alleged.

    Minutes after Sisodia’s tweet, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal rallied around him and the other jailed former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, likening them to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. “Jail bars and hanging noose could not deter Bhagat Singh’s lofty intentions. This is the second fight for freedom. Manish and Satyendra are today’s Bhagat Singh,” Kejriwal claimed.

    The CBI FIR against Sisodia and 14 others mentions various IPC sections, including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means.

    Couple of arrests in excise scam so farThe CBI has already questioned Sameer Mahendru, owner of IndoSpirits, Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam. It has also arrested Vijay Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder, and businessman Abhishek Boinpally

    NEW DELHI: With the CBI summoning Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to appear before it on Monday for questioning over his alleged role in the excise policy rip-off, his Aam Aadmi Party claimed he would be arrested to stymie its gains in poll-bound Gujarat.

    This is the first time the CBI has summoned Sisodia, who is the primary accused in the case related to the now-scrapped liquor policy, for questioning. Sisodia took to Twitter to say he will visit the CBI headquarters at 11 am and provide full cooperation to the probe.

    “The CBI raided my house for 14 hours, but nothing came out of it. They searched my bank locker and found nothing. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation,” he tweeted in Hindi.

    The AAP claimed the BJP is rattled by its rise in Gujarat where it is gearing up to give a tough fight. “To shift the agenda from the growing anti-incumbency against its 27-year-long tenure, the BJP now wants to dent the AAP’s poll run, which is why they have conspired to have Manish Sisodia arrest at the CBI headquarters tomorrow,” party leader Atishi alleged.

    Minutes after Sisodia’s tweet, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal rallied around him and the other jailed former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, likening them to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. “Jail bars and hanging noose could not deter Bhagat Singh’s lofty intentions. This is the second fight for freedom. Manish and Satyendra are today’s Bhagat Singh,” Kejriwal claimed.

    The CBI FIR against Sisodia and 14 others mentions various IPC sections, including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deals with taking undue advantage to influence a public servant by corrupt or illegal means.

    Couple of arrests in excise scam so far
    The CBI has already questioned Sameer Mahendru, owner of IndoSpirits, Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam. It has also arrested Vijay Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder, and businessman Abhishek Boinpally

  • CBI files charge sheet against DHFL’s ex-CMD Kapil Wadhawan, 74 others

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has filed a charge sheet against former Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) CMD Kapil Wadhawan and 74 others in connection with a Rs 34,000-crore bank fraud case, officials said on Saturday.

    In its charge sheet, filed before a Special CBI court here, the agency has also named then director Dheeraj Wadhawan and former CEO Harshil Mehta as accused in the mega-scam case, officials said.

    The agency had registered the case in June in DHFL bank fraud matter for allegedly defrauding a consortium of 17 banks to the tune of Rs 34,000 crore, making it the biggest banking loan fraud of the country, they said.

    In the charge sheet, the agency has listed 18 individuals and 57 companies through which funds were diverted, they alleged.

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has filed a charge sheet against former Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) CMD Kapil Wadhawan and 74 others in connection with a Rs 34,000-crore bank fraud case, officials said on Saturday.

    In its charge sheet, filed before a Special CBI court here, the agency has also named then director Dheeraj Wadhawan and former CEO Harshil Mehta as accused in the mega-scam case, officials said.

    The agency had registered the case in June in DHFL bank fraud matter for allegedly defrauding a consortium of 17 banks to the tune of Rs 34,000 crore, making it the biggest banking loan fraud of the country, they said.

    In the charge sheet, the agency has listed 18 individuals and 57 companies through which funds were diverted, they alleged.

  • CBI questions Satya Pal Malik in Rs 300 crore bribery claim

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Saturday that former Governor of J&K and Meghalaya, Satya Pal Malik, was questioned in connection with his claim that he was offered Rs 300 crore to clear two files during his tenure as J&K Governor.

    The CBI had registered two separate cases following allegations levelled by Malik of malpractices in awarding contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to a private company and release of Rs 60 crore in 2017-18. The second case was lodged on the allegation that a civil works contract worth Rs 2,200 crore for Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project was given to a private firm flouting the rules in 2019.

    Malik was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 2018 and October 2019.

    After lodging these two cases, the probe agency had formed several teams to unearth the entire conspiracy.

    In April, the CBI had raided 14 locations across the country, including the residence of senior IAS officer Navin Choudhary. The raids were conducted in Jammu, Srinagar, Mumbai, Noida, Delhi, Trivandrum and Darbhanga.

    NEW DELHI: Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Saturday that former Governor of J&K and Meghalaya, Satya Pal Malik, was questioned in connection with his claim that he was offered Rs 300 crore to clear two files during his tenure as J&K Governor.

    The CBI had registered two separate cases following allegations levelled by Malik of malpractices in awarding contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to a private company and release of Rs 60 crore in 2017-18. The second case was lodged on the allegation that a civil works contract worth Rs 2,200 crore for Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project was given to a private firm flouting the rules in 2019.

    Malik was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 2018 and October 2019.

    After lodging these two cases, the probe agency had formed several teams to unearth the entire conspiracy.

    In April, the CBI had raided 14 locations across the country, including the residence of senior IAS officer Navin Choudhary. The raids were conducted in Jammu, Srinagar, Mumbai, Noida, Delhi, Trivandrum and Darbhanga.

  • Land-for-railway jobs scam: CBI files charge sheet against Lalu, Rabri

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI filed a charge sheet Friday against former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and 14 others in connection with alleged appointments made in Railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to his family, officials said.

    In the charge sheet filed before a special CBI court here, the agency has also named Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti, former general manager of Central Railways Sowmya Raghvan, former CPO Railways Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals.

    “During investigation, it has been found that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM, Central Railways, and CPO, Central Railways, engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

    The agency has kept the investigation open with respect to other transactions, they said.

    “This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate. It was also alleged that the candidates have used false TC and submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways,” the spokesperson said.

    During the probe, the agency claimed to have found a hard disc from 10 Circular Road, Patna, the then camp office of Prasad when he was the Union railway minister.

    The CBI said it had a list of 1,458 candidates engaged in the Railways during his tenure.

    The agency has alleged that residents of Patna were appointed as ‘substitutes’ in group D posts in different zones of the Railways who were regularised during 2004-09.

    In exchange, the beneficiaries themselves or their family members allegedly transferred land parcels in the name of family members of Prasad and a company called AK Infosystems Private Limited, the agency has alleged.

    The company was subsequently taken over by Prasad’s family members, it said.

    The payments for the parcels of land were mostly shown to be made in cash, while there were also instances of transfer of land through gift deeds, it is alleged.

    The candidates were allegedly appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in “undue haste” by Railway officials and were later regularised when the “individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land”, according to the agency.

    The transfers were made through deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, the agency alleged.

    Hema Yadav has not been named in the present charge sheet.

    The agency has alleged that land measuring about 1.05 lakh square feet in Patna was acquired by Prasad’s family members by making payments to the sellers in cash.

    A beneficiary had countered the CBI allegations in a court, claiming that he had transferred a land parcel to Prasad’s daughter through a gift deed in 2014 whereas he had already been appointed as a substitute nearly 10 years ago.

    He had said that the land was acquired by him years after he joined the Railways.

    “No land was transferred by the applicant to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav in lieu of his appointment in the Railways as a substitute as the applicant already stood appointed as a ‘substitute’ in the Railways before he himself acquired the piece of land alleged by the CBI to be a consideration for his appointment,” he had submitted.

    NEW DELHI: The CBI filed a charge sheet Friday against former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and 14 others in connection with alleged appointments made in Railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to his family, officials said.

    In the charge sheet filed before a special CBI court here, the agency has also named Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti, former general manager of Central Railways Sowmya Raghvan, former CPO Railways Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals.

    “During investigation, it has been found that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM, Central Railways, and CPO, Central Railways, engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

    The agency has kept the investigation open with respect to other transactions, they said.

    “This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate. It was also alleged that the candidates have used false TC and submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways,” the spokesperson said.

    During the probe, the agency claimed to have found a hard disc from 10 Circular Road, Patna, the then camp office of Prasad when he was the Union railway minister.

    The CBI said it had a list of 1,458 candidates engaged in the Railways during his tenure.

    The agency has alleged that residents of Patna were appointed as ‘substitutes’ in group D posts in different zones of the Railways who were regularised during 2004-09.

    In exchange, the beneficiaries themselves or their family members allegedly transferred land parcels in the name of family members of Prasad and a company called AK Infosystems Private Limited, the agency has alleged.

    The company was subsequently taken over by Prasad’s family members, it said.

    The payments for the parcels of land were mostly shown to be made in cash, while there were also instances of transfer of land through gift deeds, it is alleged.

    The candidates were allegedly appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in “undue haste” by Railway officials and were later regularised when the “individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land”, according to the agency.

    The transfers were made through deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, the agency alleged.

    Hema Yadav has not been named in the present charge sheet.

    The agency has alleged that land measuring about 1.05 lakh square feet in Patna was acquired by Prasad’s family members by making payments to the sellers in cash.

    A beneficiary had countered the CBI allegations in a court, claiming that he had transferred a land parcel to Prasad’s daughter through a gift deed in 2014 whereas he had already been appointed as a substitute nearly 10 years ago.

    He had said that the land was acquired by him years after he joined the Railways.

    “No land was transferred by the applicant to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav in lieu of his appointment in the Railways as a substitute as the applicant already stood appointed as a ‘substitute’ in the Railways before he himself acquired the piece of land alleged by the CBI to be a consideration for his appointment,” he had submitted.

  • Cattle smuggling case: CBI files chargesheet against TMC’s Anubrata in court

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday submitted a 35-page chargesheet in a CBI court in Asansol against Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested by the agency in connection with a cattle smuggling case.

    Mondal, currently in judicial remand, is lodged in Asansol correctional home.

    The TMC’s Birbhum district president was arrested on August 11 from his residence at Bolpur by a team of CBI sleuths for allegedly not cooperating in its investigation into the cattle smuggling case.

    The ruling party leader had skipped appearing before the CBI officers at its Nizam Palace office for his questioning on several occasions prior to the arrest.

    KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday submitted a 35-page chargesheet in a CBI court in Asansol against Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested by the agency in connection with a cattle smuggling case.

    Mondal, currently in judicial remand, is lodged in Asansol correctional home.

    The TMC’s Birbhum district president was arrested on August 11 from his residence at Bolpur by a team of CBI sleuths for allegedly not cooperating in its investigation into the cattle smuggling case.

    The ruling party leader had skipped appearing before the CBI officers at its Nizam Palace office for his questioning on several occasions prior to the arrest.

  • Russian hacker ‘helped’ over 800 students in JEE exam, CBI tells court

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: As many as 820 students are said to have benefitted from the hacking by Russian national Mikhail Shargin of the iLeon software platform, the CBI told a Delhi court on Tuesday. 

    Shargin, 25, was  arrested at IGI Airport late Monday night. Following his production in court, Shargin, who was described as a “professional hacker”, was remanded to two-day CBI custody.

    The students who took advantage of the hacking, which aided them to cheat in last year’s JEE (Mains) exam, is now suspected to be more than the number earlier estimated, the CBI said to have found in the course of its interrogation of Shargin who was detained by sleuths after he alighted from a plane from Almaty. 

    When Shargin told the court that the CBI could access his electronic devices in his presence, the agency sought the court’s direction for the Russian national to share his usernames and passwords. The CBI is not ruling out the possibility of other foreign nationals being involved in the hacking.

    The JEE(Mains) is taken by aspirants seeking admission into top engineering colleges, including the IITs. Sources said “teachers” and “coaches” outside test centres were able to take charge of aspirants’ computers and solve questions.

    NEW DELHI: As many as 820 students are said to have benefitted from the hacking by Russian national Mikhail Shargin of the iLeon software platform, the CBI told a Delhi court on Tuesday. 

    Shargin, 25, was  arrested at IGI Airport late Monday night. Following his production in court, Shargin, who was described as a “professional hacker”, was remanded to two-day CBI custody.

    The students who took advantage of the hacking, which aided them to cheat in last year’s JEE (Mains) exam, is now suspected to be more than the number earlier estimated, the CBI said to have found in the course of its interrogation of Shargin who was detained by sleuths after he alighted from a plane from Almaty. 

    When Shargin told the court that the CBI could access his electronic devices in his presence, the agency sought the court’s direction for the Russian national to share his usernames and passwords. The CBI is not ruling out the possibility of other foreign nationals being involved in the hacking.

    The JEE(Mains) is taken by aspirants seeking admission into top engineering colleges, including the IITs. Sources said “teachers” and “coaches” outside test centres were able to take charge of aspirants’ computers and solve questions.

  • Bombay HC grants bail to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in ED case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in an alleged money laundering case. Justice N J Jamadar pronounced the order.

    Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the HC to hear and decide the NCP leader’s plea expeditiously as it was pending for six months.

    His lawyers Vikram Chaudhari and Aniket Nikam argued that considering his age (72), health and the fact that he had no criminal antecedents he should be granted bail.

    Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), opposed the application arguing that Deshmukh did not suffer from any ailments that cannot be treated at the jail hospital.

    Arrested by the ED in November 2021, Deshmukh is now in judicial custody.

    The ED booked him after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a corruption case against him following allegations made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

    The ED claimed that Deshmukh misused his official position and collected Rs 4.7 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

    The ill-gotten money was channelled to Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational trust controlled by his family, it alleged.

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in an alleged money laundering case. Justice N J Jamadar pronounced the order.

    Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the HC to hear and decide the NCP leader’s plea expeditiously as it was pending for six months.

    His lawyers Vikram Chaudhari and Aniket Nikam argued that considering his age (72), health and the fact that he had no criminal antecedents he should be granted bail.

    Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), opposed the application arguing that Deshmukh did not suffer from any ailments that cannot be treated at the jail hospital.

    Arrested by the ED in November 2021, Deshmukh is now in judicial custody.

    The ED booked him after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a corruption case against him following allegations made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

    The ED claimed that Deshmukh misused his official position and collected Rs 4.7 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

    The ill-gotten money was channelled to Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational trust controlled by his family, it alleged.

  • CBI books Amrapali Silicon City for Rs 177-crore bank fraud, searches 6 locations

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Wednesday conducted searches at six locations in Delhi and Noida after registering an FIR against Amrapali Silicon City Private Limited and its promoter, Anil Kumar Sharma, for alleged bank fraud of Rs 177 crore, officials said.

    The CBI has booked the company on a complaint from Bank of Baroda which was part of a consortium including Bank of Maharashtra and Punjab National Bank.

    The consortium was allegedly cheated by the company, they said.

    The company had taken over 1.76 lakh square metre land from from New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) for developing a group housing complex, Amrapali Silicon City, in Sector 76 of the Delhi suburb.

    The audit showed that the company sold 468 flats at extremely lower rates with some even lower than the construction cost, they said.

    The forensic audit of the company’s account books and other financial records showed that Rs 73 crore of funds were possibly diverted by selling flats at prices lesser than the construction cost, they said.

    Among other issues, the audit also flagged the company has diverted funds to the tune of Rs 303.18 crore as received from various home buyers to their other group companies, they said.

    The bank has alleged that the company has committed fraud, forgery and misappropriated the loan amount cheating the banks to an extent of Rs 177 crore excluding interest, they said.

    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Wednesday conducted searches at six locations in Delhi and Noida after registering an FIR against Amrapali Silicon City Private Limited and its promoter, Anil Kumar Sharma, for alleged bank fraud of Rs 177 crore, officials said.

    The CBI has booked the company on a complaint from Bank of Baroda which was part of a consortium including Bank of Maharashtra and Punjab National Bank.

    The consortium was allegedly cheated by the company, they said.

    The company had taken over 1.76 lakh square metre land from from New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) for developing a group housing complex, Amrapali Silicon City, in Sector 76 of the Delhi suburb.

    The audit showed that the company sold 468 flats at extremely lower rates with some even lower than the construction cost, they said.

    The forensic audit of the company’s account books and other financial records showed that Rs 73 crore of funds were possibly diverted by selling flats at prices lesser than the construction cost, they said.

    Among other issues, the audit also flagged the company has diverted funds to the tune of Rs 303.18 crore as received from various home buyers to their other group companies, they said.

    The bank has alleged that the company has committed fraud, forgery and misappropriated the loan amount cheating the banks to an extent of Rs 177 crore excluding interest, they said.