News Analysis India

Tag: money laundering case

  • Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut leaves ED office after 10 hours of grilling

    By Online Desk

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here to record his statement in a money laundering probe, and left after more than 10 hours.

    Raut reached the ED office located at the Ballard Estate in south Mumbai around 11.30 am. He was seen leaving the office around 10 at night.

    Heavy police force was deployed outside the central agency’s office as a large number of Shiv Sena workers were present at the spot. Barricades were placed on the roads leading to the office.

    After his arrival, the Sena MP, sporting a saffron muffler around his neck, waved at his supporters before entering the office with his lawyer.

    Speaking to reporters before going inside, Raut said, “I will cooperate with the agency in the investigation. It had summoned me, they require some information from me and it is my duty as a Member of Parliament, a responsible citizen and a leader of a political party to cooperate with them.”

    ALSO READ | Shiv Sena is where Thackerays are; new govt formed by BJP with group that split Sena: Raut

    He said he was “fearless and undaunted” as he has “not done anything wrong in life”. When asked whether it is a politically motivated case, Raut said, “We will come to know that later. I think I am appearing before an agency which is neutral, and I have full confidence in them.

    “Earlier in the day, the Sena leader posted a tweet saying, “I will be appearing bfore the ED today at 12 noon. I respect the Summons issued to me and it’s my duty to co-operate with the investigation agencies. I appeal Shivsena workers not to gather at the ED office.

    Don’t worry!” The ED had summoned the Rajya Sabha member for questioning in the money laundering probe linked to the re-development of a Mumbai ‘chawl’ (tenement) and related financial transactions involving his wife and friends.

    The agency had earlier summoned him on June 28.

    However, Raut had termed the ED’s summons as a “conspiracy” to stop him from fighting against the Shiv Sena’s political opponents in the wake of a rebellion by party MLAs, and said he will not be able to appear before the agency on Tuesday as he had to attend a meeting in Alibag (Raigad district). The ED then issued a fresh summons and asked him to appear before it on Friday.

  • ED grills Maharashtra minister Anil Parab for over six hours on day 3

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here on Thursday for the third day in a row in connection with a money laundering case, and left after more than six hours.

    Parab, a senior Shiv Sena leader, reached the ED’s office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai around 2:45 pm, and left around 9 pm, an official said. The ED has been questioning him in a money laundering probe linked to alleged violation of coastal regulation zone provisions in the construction of Sai resort in Dapoli in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district.

    The agency had questioned Parab for more than six hours on Wednesday, and for over 10 hours on Tuesday. Parab (57) is a three-time member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and holds the transport and parliamentary affairs portfolios.

    The ED had raided his premises and those allegedly linked to him in May, after registering a fresh case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against him and others. However, the Shiv Sena leader denied any wrongdoing.

  • Money laundering case: ED grills Maharashtra minister Anil Parab for over six hours on day 2

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab for more than six hours on Wednesday, the second consecutive day of his questioning, in connection with a money laundering case against him.

    Parab reached the ED office located in south Mumbai around 3:45 pm for his questioning in the money laundering probe linked to the alleged violation of coastal regulation zone provisions in the construction of Sai resort in Dapoli beach area of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, an official said.

    After the questioning, the minister left the central agency office around 10:30 pm, he said, adding that he has been asked to appear on Thursday as well. Parab was questioned by the central agency for more than 10 hours on Tuesday.

    He was summoned on Wednesday morning, but citing the political developments in the state, he had sought more time to appear before it. Parab (57) is a three-time member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and holds transport and parliamentary affairs portfolios.

    The ED had raided his premises and those allegedly linked to him in May, after registering a fresh case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against him and others. However, the Shiv Sena leader denied any wrongdoing.

  • Maharashtra minister Anil Parab grilled by Enforcement Directorate​ in money laundering case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab was questioned for more than 11 hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering probe being conducted by the agency, an official said.

    The ED had summoned Parab, a Shiv Sena leader, for questioning in the money laundering probe linked to alleged violation of coastal regulation zone provisions in the construction of a resort in Dapoli beach area of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district.

    Parab reached the ED’s office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai at 11:20 am and came out at around 10:45 pm, the official said. He was earlier summoned on June 15, but skipped the deposition then citing official work.

    Officials earlier said that the federal agency wanted to record Parab’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED had raided his premises and those allegedly linked to him in May, after registering a fresh case under the PMLA against him and others.

    The Shiv Sena leader denied any wrongdoing. “I have answered all the questions asked by ED officials today…had answered them earlier, too, and will answer them in the future, too. I am repeatedly saying I do not own Dapoli’s Sai Resort,” said Parab while speaking with media persons before leaving the ED office.

    The minister claimed the ED case relates of discharge of water from the resort, currently shut, into the sea. Asked whether the central agency has called him again for questioning on Wednesday, Parab said he will come to know about it only in the morning.

    On rebellion by party colleague Eknath Shinde, Parab declined to comment, saying he was busy with ED questioning through out the day. Parab (57) is a three-time member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and holds transport and parliamentary affairs portfolios.

  • National Herald case: ED grills Rahul Gandhi for over 11 hours for fifth day; no fresh summons

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for over 11 hours on Tuesday, the fifth day of his deposition in the National Herald money laundering case.

    The Congress MP from Wayanad (Kerala) spent a total of about 54 hours at the ED office over five sittings with the investigators questioning him over multiple sessions and recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    He has not been issued fresh summons and it is understood that his questioning has ended, at least for now. Gandhi (52) took a half-hour break around 8 pm and re-joined the session that started in the morning at 11:30 am.

    He finally left the agency office at 11:30 pm. He was questioned for three consecutive days last week, beginning June 13, and after Monday’s questioning, he was asked to rejoin the session and complete the recording of his statement.

    Gandhi left the agency office after midnight on Monday. The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

    The ED is understood to have asked Gandhi about the incorporation of Young Indian Private Limited, operations of the National Herald, the loan given by the party to the newspaper’s publisher Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and the transfer of funds within the news media establishment.

    It is understood that Gandhi stuck to his position that there was no personal acquisition of assets by himself or his family as Young Indian was a “not-for-profit” company and that despite he being a majority shareholder, various financial decisions taken to revive the National Herald newspaper was taken collectively by senior Congress party leaders.

    The ED, sources indicated, wanted to understand how the loan was extended to AJL by the Congress party and if the provisions of the Companies Act and the anti-money laundering law were contravened in this AJL-Congress-Young Indian deal.

    Gandhi is understood to have faced a set of at least 20 questions during the five days of questioning.

    The move to question Gandhi was initiated after the ED recently registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe against Young Indian on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

    Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and majority shareholders of Young Indian. Like her son, the Congress president too has 38 per cent shareholding. Swamy had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds, with YI paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to the Congress.

    In February last year, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response on Swamy’s plea, seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal were questioned by the ED in this case in April.

    Congress president Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned by the agency for questioning in the case on June 23. She was discharged on Monday from a private hospital in Delhi where she was admitted for coronavirus-related complications.

    She has been advised rest at home. The Congress has accused the Centre of targeting opposition leaders by misusing investigative agencies and has termed the entire action a “political vendetta”.

  • CBI court reserves order on Satyendar Jain’s bail plea

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A court here on Tuesday reserved its order against the bail plea of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

    Special Judge Geetanjali Goel reserved the order after hearing arguments from Jain as well the ED.

    The agency had taken Jain into custody under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He is currently in judicial custody.

  • Allegations against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik look to be well-founded: PMLA court

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Prima facie, there are reasonable grounds to believe that allegations against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik are “well-founded”, observed a special court here while remanding him in the custody of the ED in connection with a money laundering case.

    Special judge RN Rokade, designated to hear matters related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), also said that sufficient time is required to be granted for the investigation of the offence and Malik’s custodial interrogation was necessary.

    The court on Wednesday remanded Malik, a senior NCP leader, in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate till March 3. Its detailed order was made available on Friday. Malik was arrested by the ED on Wednesday in a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

    The court, in its order, said it appears from the report that accused has not cooperated with the investigation on the crucial aspect. “Prima facie, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations are well-founded under PMLA,”the judge observed.

    The court held that the probe was at a nascent stage and Malik’s custodial interrogation is necessary to unearth all the ramifications involved in the crime. “The proceeds of crime have traversed since last 20 years and more. Therefore, sufficient time is required to be granted for the investigation of the offence,” the judge said.

    The ED case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a fugitive gangster, and others. The NIA had filed its criminal complaint under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

  • Nawab Malik has no right to continue in Maha cabinet, says BJP

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Thursday said state minister Nawab Malik has no right to remain a part of the state cabinet following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

    He said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also has no moral right to remain in power as the situation in the state is “extremely chaotic”.

    Patil made the statements here while participating in an agitation against Malik.

    Malik (62) was arrested on Wednesday after being questioned for about five hours at the ED office in south Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area and later produced before special judge R N Rokade, who remanded him in the ED custody till March 3.

    “Malik has no right to be part of the Maharashtra government’s cabinet. Also CM Uddhav Thackeray cannot remain at the helm of affairs,” Patil said.

    “The situation in Maharastra is such that it requires imposition of President’s rule. The situation in the state is extremely chaotic,” the former minister added.

    After Malik’s arrest, the opposition BJP is vociferously demanding his resignation, but the ruling NCP and its allies – Shiv Sena and Congress – have come out in support of the minister.

    The parties have ruled out the possibility of his resignation.

  • Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik produced before special court after arrest by ED in money laundering case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik was produced before a special court here on Wednesday after the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in a money laundering case probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, his aides and the Mumbai underworld.

    In the morning, Malik was taken to the ED’s office in south Mumbai for questioning and he was later arrested.

    ALSO READ | ED arrests Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik in money laundering case

    The 62-year-old NCP leader was taken to the state-run J J Hospital in the afternoon for a medical check-up after which he was taken to the sessions court.

    Malik, clad in a white kurta, was brought to the courtroom of Special Judge R N Rokade, designated to hear matters related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), at 4.50 pm and was made to stand in the witness box.

    When the judge asked him if he had any grievances, Malik said the ED officials came to his house in the morning and took him to their office.

    ALSO READ | Will fight and win, won’t bow down: Nawab Malik on ED action

    “In the office, they (ED) made me sign a document which they later said was the summons,” the minister told the court.

    Further proceedings are on.

  • Money laundering case: Court refuses bail to ex-Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh’s aide

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The statement of a former policeman cannot be “thrown out” at the stage of bail merely because he is not a person of “good conduct”, noted a special PMLA court here in its order refusing bail to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh’s personal assistant Kundan Shinde.

    Special PMLA Judge MG Deshpande had rejected Shinde’s bail plea on December 7, and the detailed order was made available on Friday.

    Shinde was arrested on June 26 by the Enforcement Directorate for his alleged role in a money laundering case in which the accused include Deshmukh and dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Waze. Waze, in his statement to the ED, said that Deshmukh introduced him to Shinde during a meeting at the then home minister’s official residence.

    Waze also disclosed the manner in which he collected Rs 4.7 crore between December last year and February, 2021 at the behest of Deshmukh, adding that the collected amount was handed over to Shinde on multiple occasions.

    The court said it is clear from the statement of Waze the said money, approximately Rs 4.7 crore, which he handed over to Shinde was illegal collection from various bar owners across Mumbai, and was nothing but proceeds of crime as defined under the provisions of PMLA Act.

    However, Shinde’s lawyer Ejaz Khan argued there was nothing against his client except statements and words of Waze, and that the dismissed policeman’s statements cannot be believed as they are made with an “actuated malice” and without absolutely any corroboration. “This fact cannot be ignored at the stage of bail and the statement of Waze cannot be thrown out merely because he is not a person of good conduct as argued by Ejaz Khan, ” the court said.

    Conspiracy is always hatched in secrecy and direct evidence thereof, even during the course of trial, cannot be obtained, and inferences have to be drawn for the same, the judge said.

    “Even if the argument of the advocate that Waze created, fabricated, imaginary false story and implicated the applicant is considered, yet a question remains how any person, including Waze, can build up or fabricate the story with such minute details regarding dates of meetings, dates of collection etc,” the court observed.

    It said that at this juncture, the statements under the provisions of PMLA Act, which have corroboration of the details in respect of money transfers, cannot be disbelieved. The court held there is a strong prima facie case which points out to the involvement of the applicant.

    An offence under PMLA is very serious and bail applications have to be dealt with strictly considering the gravity, magnitude and the message which will be conveyed to law abiding people, the court said. The ED’s case is that Deshmukh, while serving as home minister, misused his official position and collected Rs 4.7 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai through Waze.

    The money was allegedly laundered through the Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha, an education trust controlled by Deshmukh’s family. Deshmukh has refuted the allegations and has claimed the agency’s whole case was based on malicious statements made by Waze.