Tag: raids

  • Newsclick raids: Delhi HC asks police to respond to pleas against arrest of Purkayastha, HR head

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA.

    Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought the response of the city police on the applications seeking interim release of Purkayastha and Chakravarty till the pendency of their petition.

    The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 9.

    ALSO READ | NewsClick raids: FIR says funds came from China to disrupt India’s sovereignty

    Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Tuesday. Police have sealed the NewsClick’s office in Delhi.

    The portal has been accused of receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda. The duo is currently in police custody.

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to police on pleas challenging the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA.

    Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also sought the response of the city police on the applications seeking interim release of Purkayastha and Chakravarty till the pendency of their petition.

    The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 9.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    ALSO READ | NewsClick raids: FIR says funds came from China to disrupt India’s sovereignty

    Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Tuesday. Police have sealed the NewsClick’s office in Delhi.

    The portal has been accused of receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda. The duo is currently in police custody.

  • Journalist bodies condemn Newsclick raids, say they are to divert attention from burning issues

    By Online Desk

    The National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi Unit) issued a joint statement on Tuesday condemning the Delhi Police raids on news portal NewsClick, its scribes, as well as activists. Staffers across designations as well as contributors were raided.

    It said that the residences of Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Prabir Purkayastha, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakraborty, Mahesh Kumar, Subodh Varma, Aditi Nigam, Mukund Jha, and many others were raided this morning. The statement claimed that several of the mediapersons were also taken into custody.

    The residences of activist Teesta Setalvad and Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, too, were raided.

    “The government has been targeting Newsclick apparently after the coverage this news portal gave to the issues of workers and farmers,” the statement alleged.

    “We believe that this is yet another attempt by the Centre to muzzle the freedom of press. Such an action, raiding and intimidating almost all the employees in a media organisation is unheard of,” it said.

    Journalists Pranjoy Guha Thakurata and Urmilesh being taken to Lodhi Road Special Cell office, in New Delhi, on Oct. 3, 2023. (PTI)

    The statement by the journalist bodies also noted that the Newsclick management has been maintaining that whatever funding they have received was through legal sources and that the evidence for this has been submitted to the Delhi High Court.

    “These new raids are to divert public attention from burning livelihood issues of people. We condemn this with the strongest possible words. We will stand with these journalists in this matter. We urge the Centre to immediately stop this attack on press freedom. We urge the media fraternity to protest against this witch-hunt by the government,” the statement said.

    Meanwhile, the Press Club of India has demanded the Centre to come out with details of the investigation. “The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with #Newsclick. We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement,” the journalists’ body wrote on X.

    The Network of Women in Media, India Journalists, termed the police action “shocking”, and said on X that “activists and artists who speak truth to power are being unrelentingly harassed and persecuted by the government, while pliant and sycophantic mediapersons and media houses are being nurtured. This campaign to quell dissent has to stop.”

    ALSO READ | Raids on NewsClick journos, a distraction from ‘explosive’ findings of Bihar caste survey: Congress

    Raids at 30 locations across NCR

    Sources informed TNIE that searches are being made by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell at more than 30 locations across the NCR, including the office of NewsClick, while its journalists are being questioned and their mobile phones and laptops have been seized by the cops.

    Police have recovered dumped data from the seized laptops and phones.

    The Special Cell has reportedly filed a new case under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following allegations that the news portal received money for pro-China propaganda.

    Sources told TNIE that the Special Cell has formed a list of at least 25 questions which they are asking the detained journalists. The questions pertain to anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh, Farmers’ Protest, North East Delhi riots and even details of their foreign travels. 

    There is no confirmation yet of arrests made so far in the searches concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region.

    A police personnel arrives at the office of NewsClick at Saket during raids by Delhi Police’s Special Cell on its premises, in New Delhi, on Oct. 3, 2023. (PTI)

    Background

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier raided the firm’s premises probing its sources of funding. The Special Cell is conducting raids on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency.

    The ED had registered a case against the news portal and alleged that NewsClick received foreign funding in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The agency had also alleged that the money was used for anti-national activities.

    On August 5, The New York Times published a report titled “A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a US Tech Mogul” which claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network that received funding from American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media and promoted its point of view in various countries.

    Following the NYT report, NewsClick had issued a statement remarking that the allegations made against the organisation were “unfounded and without basis in fact or law.”

    (With inputs from Ujwal Jalali and PTI)

    The National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi Unit) issued a joint statement on Tuesday condemning the Delhi Police raids on news portal NewsClick, its scribes, as well as activists. Staffers across designations as well as contributors were raided.

    It said that the residences of Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Prabir Purkayastha, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakraborty, Mahesh Kumar, Subodh Varma, Aditi Nigam, Mukund Jha, and many others were raided this morning. The statement claimed that several of the mediapersons were also taken into custody.

    The residences of activist Teesta Setalvad and Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, too, were raided.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    “The government has been targeting Newsclick apparently after the coverage this news portal gave to the issues of workers and farmers,” the statement alleged.

    “We believe that this is yet another attempt by the Centre to muzzle the freedom of press. Such an action, raiding and intimidating almost all the employees in a media organisation is unheard of,” it said.

    Journalists Pranjoy Guha Thakurata and Urmilesh being taken to Lodhi Road Special Cell office, in New Delhi, on Oct. 3, 2023. (PTI)

    The statement by the journalist bodies also noted that the Newsclick management has been maintaining that whatever funding they have received was through legal sources and that the evidence for this has been submitted to the Delhi High Court.

    “These new raids are to divert public attention from burning livelihood issues of people. We condemn this with the strongest possible words. We will stand with these journalists in this matter. We urge the Centre to immediately stop this attack on press freedom. We urge the media fraternity to protest against this witch-hunt by the government,” the statement said.

    Meanwhile, the Press Club of India has demanded the Centre to come out with details of the investigation. “The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with #Newsclick. We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement,” the journalists’ body wrote on X.

    The Network of Women in Media, India Journalists, termed the police action “shocking”, and said on X that “activists and artists who speak truth to power are being unrelentingly harassed and persecuted by the government, while pliant and sycophantic mediapersons and media houses are being nurtured. This campaign to quell dissent has to stop.”

    ALSO READ | Raids on NewsClick journos, a distraction from ‘explosive’ findings of Bihar caste survey: Congress

    Raids at 30 locations across NCR

    Sources informed TNIE that searches are being made by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell at more than 30 locations across the NCR, including the office of NewsClick, while its journalists are being questioned and their mobile phones and laptops have been seized by the cops.

    Police have recovered dumped data from the seized laptops and phones.

    The Special Cell has reportedly filed a new case under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following allegations that the news portal received money for pro-China propaganda.

    Sources told TNIE that the Special Cell has formed a list of at least 25 questions which they are asking the detained journalists. The questions pertain to anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh, Farmers’ Protest, North East Delhi riots and even details of their foreign travels. 

    There is no confirmation yet of arrests made so far in the searches concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region.

    A police personnel arrives at the office of NewsClick at Saket during raids by Delhi Police’s Special Cell on its premises, in New Delhi, on Oct. 3, 2023. (PTI)

    Background

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier raided the firm’s premises probing its sources of funding. The Special Cell is conducting raids on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency.

    The ED had registered a case against the news portal and alleged that NewsClick received foreign funding in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The agency had also alleged that the money was used for anti-national activities.

    On August 5, The New York Times published a report titled “A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a US Tech Mogul” which claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network that received funding from American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media and promoted its point of view in various countries.

    Following the NYT report, NewsClick had issued a statement remarking that the allegations made against the organisation were “unfounded and without basis in fact or law.”

    (With inputs from Ujwal Jalali and PTI)

  • Several PFI activists arrested in NIA round two raids across states

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Assam Police on Tuesday launched another operation against the Popular Front of India (PFI) in various districts of the state.

    Police has arrested 25 PFI activists in fresh crackdown in Assam. Hiren Nath, ADGP (Special Branch) of Assam Police told ANI that several people have been detained by police in various districts. Hitesh Ch. Roy, Superintendent of Police of Kamrup district said that the Kamrup District Police on Tuesday detained four persons linked with PFI from the Nagarbera area.

    Assam | 4 persons linked with PFI detained from the Nagarbera area today. Our operation against PFI is on in many parts of the district: Hiren Nath, ADGP (Special Branch) Assam pic.twitter.com/qTUIEz8PSk
    — ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022
    “Our operation against PFI is on in many parts of the district,” Hitesh Ch. Roy said. Earlier, Assam Police arrested 11 leaders of workers of PFI from various parts of the state and one from Delhi.

    Continuing the crackdown on the organisation, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police arrested a man on Monday in connection with the nationwide crackdown on PFI. The arrested accused has been identified as Mohd Abed Ali.

    ALSO READ | Nearly 106 arrested in NIA’s ‘largest-ever’ raids in 15 states over terror funding charges

    The UP Police Special Task Form (STF) also arrested one person yesterday. The STF arrested a person identified as Abdul Majeed from the Vibhutikhand bus stand from Lucknow under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) when he was trying to leave the city, police said.

    Earlier, the Karnataka unit of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political wing of the Popular Front of India, on Monday condemned the raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency against its members, and asked why the central agency had not yet conducted raids on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated organizations for “acts of communal hatred”.

    The NIA had arrested over 106 members of the PFI during its largest-ever raids spread across 15 states on September 22.

    Addressing a press conference here, State Principal Secretary of SDPI, Bhaskar said, “We condemn the unconstitutional raids by NIA. Why hasn’t the RSS been raided yet? We say that RSS is a non-registered organisation as well as a terrorist organisation. PFI is a registered organisation”.

    Terming the NIA raids as a “ploy” to suppress a “strong voice”, the SDPI leader claimed that the government could not prove a single case against the political outfit.

    ALSO READ | PFI raids: Lawyer association alleges govt of weaponising agencies   

    “This is a ploy to suppress a strong voice. They have tried this for years, but they couldn’t prove a single case against SDPI. However, the communal fascist government is constantly carrying out such attacks to create hatred among the people against SDPI and PFI organizations,” the SDPI leader said.

    “The biggest dangerous organization in this country is RSS and its organizations like Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Sri Ram Sena, etc. They are involved in acts of communal hatred. But they are never attacked by NIA,” the SDPI leader alleged.

    The PFI was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three Muslim organizations floated after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 – the National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu. After the demolition of the Babri mosque, many fringe outfits had surfaced in south India and PFI was formed after merging some of them.

    Five PFI activists have been arrested from the Kottayam and Kollam districts of Kerala for allegedly engaging in violent activities during the state-wide hartal called by the organisation on September 23 pursuant to nation-wide raids on their offices and arrests of their leaders.

    ALSO READ | PFI on radar: Raids continue on shops, firms in Kannur

    Four activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested from Kottayam on Monday for breaking the glass of a bakery and damaging a KSRTC bus, police said. From Kollam, a PFI activist was arrested on Monday for allegedly ramming into a police motorbike with his two-wheeler in his bid to escape the clutches of the police personnel.

    The police were trying to catch him as he was allegedly intimidating and abusing those present along the Kottiyam-Pallimukku stretch of national highway 66 on September 23, they said.

    In Udupi district, the police have taken four people in custody in connection with various cases. The raids were conducted at Hoode, Gangolli and Byndoor in the district. The detained persons are from Byndoor.

    NEW DELHI: The Assam Police on Tuesday launched another operation against the Popular Front of India (PFI) in various districts of the state.

    Police has arrested 25 PFI activists in fresh crackdown in Assam. Hiren Nath, ADGP (Special Branch) of Assam Police told ANI that several people have been detained by police in various districts. Hitesh Ch. Roy, Superintendent of Police of Kamrup district said that the Kamrup District Police on Tuesday detained four persons linked with PFI from the Nagarbera area.

    Assam | 4 persons linked with PFI detained from the Nagarbera area today. Our operation against PFI is on in many parts of the district: Hiren Nath, ADGP (Special Branch) Assam pic.twitter.com/qTUIEz8PSk
    — ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2022
    “Our operation against PFI is on in many parts of the district,” Hitesh Ch. Roy said. Earlier, Assam Police arrested 11 leaders of workers of PFI from various parts of the state and one from Delhi.

    Continuing the crackdown on the organisation, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police arrested a man on Monday in connection with the nationwide crackdown on PFI. The arrested accused has been identified as Mohd Abed Ali.

    ALSO READ | Nearly 106 arrested in NIA’s ‘largest-ever’ raids in 15 states over terror funding charges

    The UP Police Special Task Form (STF) also arrested one person yesterday. The STF arrested a person identified as Abdul Majeed from the Vibhutikhand bus stand from Lucknow under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) when he was trying to leave the city, police said.

    Earlier, the Karnataka unit of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political wing of the Popular Front of India, on Monday condemned the raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency against its members, and asked why the central agency had not yet conducted raids on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated organizations for “acts of communal hatred”.

    The NIA had arrested over 106 members of the PFI during its largest-ever raids spread across 15 states on September 22.

    Addressing a press conference here, State Principal Secretary of SDPI, Bhaskar said, “We condemn the unconstitutional raids by NIA. Why hasn’t the RSS been raided yet? We say that RSS is a non-registered organisation as well as a terrorist organisation. PFI is a registered organisation”.

    Terming the NIA raids as a “ploy” to suppress a “strong voice”, the SDPI leader claimed that the government could not prove a single case against the political outfit.

    ALSO READ | PFI raids: Lawyer association alleges govt of weaponising agencies   

    “This is a ploy to suppress a strong voice. They have tried this for years, but they couldn’t prove a single case against SDPI. However, the communal fascist government is constantly carrying out such attacks to create hatred among the people against SDPI and PFI organizations,” the SDPI leader said.

    “The biggest dangerous organization in this country is RSS and its organizations like Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Sri Ram Sena, etc. They are involved in acts of communal hatred. But they are never attacked by NIA,” the SDPI leader alleged.

    The PFI was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three Muslim organizations floated after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 – the National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu. After the demolition of the Babri mosque, many fringe outfits had surfaced in south India and PFI was formed after merging some of them.

    Five PFI activists have been arrested from the Kottayam and Kollam districts of Kerala for allegedly engaging in violent activities during the state-wide hartal called by the organisation on September 23 pursuant to nation-wide raids on their offices and arrests of their leaders.

    ALSO READ | PFI on radar: Raids continue on shops, firms in Kannur

    Four activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested from Kottayam on Monday for breaking the glass of a bakery and damaging a KSRTC bus, police said. From Kollam, a PFI activist was arrested on Monday for allegedly ramming into a police motorbike with his two-wheeler in his bid to escape the clutches of the police personnel.

    The police were trying to catch him as he was allegedly intimidating and abusing those present along the Kottiyam-Pallimukku stretch of national highway 66 on September 23, they said.

    In Udupi district, the police have taken four people in custody in connection with various cases. The raids were conducted at Hoode, Gangolli and Byndoor in the district. The detained persons are from Byndoor.

  • PFI Patna case: NIA conducts raids in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Bihar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NIA on Thursday conducted raids in multiple states in connection with the PFI conspiracy case of Patna seizing “incriminating” materials, a spokesperson for the federal agency here said.

    The searches were carried out at 20 locations linked with the accused and suspects in Nalanda, Katihar, Arariya, Madhubani, Patna, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, and Saran districts of Bihar, the spokesperson said.

    The National Investigation Agency were also conducted searches in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu and South Kannada district in Karnataka in the case pertaining to the involvement of Popular Front of India (PFI) in “anti-national activities”.

    “During the searches conducted today at the premises of accused and suspects, incriminating materials, including digital devices and documents, have been seized,” the spokesperson said.

    NEW DELHI: The NIA on Thursday conducted raids in multiple states in connection with the PFI conspiracy case of Patna seizing “incriminating” materials, a spokesperson for the federal agency here said.

    The searches were carried out at 20 locations linked with the accused and suspects in Nalanda, Katihar, Arariya, Madhubani, Patna, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, and Saran districts of Bihar, the spokesperson said.

    The National Investigation Agency were also conducted searches in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu and South Kannada district in Karnataka in the case pertaining to the involvement of Popular Front of India (PFI) in “anti-national activities”.

    “During the searches conducted today at the premises of accused and suspects, incriminating materials, including digital devices and documents, have been seized,” the spokesperson said.

  • PMLA, FEMA stings sharper under NDA

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday patted itself on the back for conducting more raids and searches on alleged violators of the 2002 Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the 1999 Foreign Exchange Management Act (c) than was done by the Congress-led UPA dispensation. 

    “During the first nine years of the administration of PMLA (FY2004-05 to FY2013-14), a small number of searches (112) was carried out”, resulting in “attachment of proceeds of crime of Rs 5,346.16 crore and filing of 104 prosecution complaints”. During the same period, trial courts neither convicted any person accused of money laundering nor confiscated any property under PMLA, the Finance Ministry said in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

    In contrast, between FY2014-15 and FY2021-22, “in order to dispose of pending investigations in old cases and to complete investigation in new cases in time (a) time-bound manner under PMLA, 3,010 searches were conducted during the last eight years”. 

    This, according to the Finance Ministry, “resulted in attachment of proceeds of crime worth Rs 99,356 crore, filing of 888 cases and conviction of 23 persons/entities”, besides “confiscation of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 869.31 crore”.

    Giving its rationale behind the spike in the number of searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the government said this showed its “commitment to preventing money laundering and improved systems for gathering financial intelligence through use of technology, better inter-agency cooperation and exchange of information both domestically and internationally”. 

    Between FY2004-05 and FY2013-14, 571 searches were conducted and 8,586 cases were taken up for investigation under FEMA, resulting in the issuance of show cause notices in 2,780 cases and adjudication of 1,312 show cause notices, which led to the imposition of a penalty of Rs 1,754.33 crore. At the same time, assets to the tune of about `14 crore were seized under FEMA, the government said.

    Citing figures, the Finance Ministry claimed that between FY2014-15 and FY2021-22, the ED, using FEMA as a weapon, conducted 996 searches and took up 22,330 cases for a probe. This resulted in the issuance of show cause notices in 5,329 cases and adjudication of 5,160 show cause notices, “imposing a penalty of Rs 6,376.51 crore”.

    Also, assets to the tune of Rs 7,066 crore were seized under FEMA. The Ministry said till March this year, 992 complaints were filed in trial courts under PMLA convicting 23 accused while only one accused was discharged.

    1,811 NGOs lost FCRA licencesThe government has cancelled the FCRA licences of 1,811 NGOs for violation of provisions of the law in the last three years (2019-2021), according to the Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. Replying to a question in Parliament on Tuesday, he said that FCRA licence renewal applications of 783 NGOs were rejected by the government. The state-wise list given by the government shows that Tamil Nadu tops the list with 218 cancellations, followed by Maharashtra with 206. While 193 organisations in West Bengal lost their licence, Andhra Pradesh has 168 cancellations.

    2K Bangladeshis intercepted in 5 yrsEven as the Centre and the Assam government continue to be seized of the issue of illegal immigration along India’s eastern borders, 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals were “intercepted and found using fraudulently obtained Indian documents” in the last five years between 2017 and 2022, Minister of State for Home  Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha. The MHA said that state governments “have also been advised to share the particulars of those illegal migrants who have wrongfully obtained Aadhaar cards with UIDAI for appropriate legal action”. 

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday patted itself on the back for conducting more raids and searches on alleged violators of the 2002 Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the 1999 Foreign Exchange Management Act (c) than was done by the Congress-led UPA dispensation. 

    “During the first nine years of the administration of PMLA (FY2004-05 to FY2013-14), a small number of searches (112) was carried out”, resulting in “attachment of proceeds of crime of Rs 5,346.16 crore and filing of 104 prosecution complaints”. During the same period, trial courts neither convicted any person accused of money laundering nor confiscated any property under PMLA, the Finance Ministry said in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

    In contrast, between FY2014-15 and FY2021-22, “in order to dispose of pending investigations in old cases and to complete investigation in new cases in time (a) time-bound manner under PMLA, 3,010 searches were conducted during the last eight years”. 

    This, according to the Finance Ministry, “resulted in attachment of proceeds of crime worth Rs 99,356 crore, filing of 888 cases and conviction of 23 persons/entities”, besides “confiscation of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 869.31 crore”.

    Giving its rationale behind the spike in the number of searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the government said this showed its “commitment to preventing money laundering and improved systems for gathering financial intelligence through use of technology, better inter-agency cooperation and exchange of information both domestically and internationally”. 

    Between FY2004-05 and FY2013-14, 571 searches were conducted and 8,586 cases were taken up for investigation under FEMA, resulting in the issuance of show cause notices in 2,780 cases and adjudication of 1,312 show cause notices, which led to the imposition of a penalty of Rs 1,754.33 crore. At the same time, assets to the tune of about `14 crore were seized under FEMA, the government said.

    Citing figures, the Finance Ministry claimed that between FY2014-15 and FY2021-22, the ED, using FEMA as a weapon, conducted 996 searches and took up 22,330 cases for a probe. This resulted in the issuance of show cause notices in 5,329 cases and adjudication of 5,160 show cause notices, “imposing a penalty of Rs 6,376.51 crore”.

    Also, assets to the tune of Rs 7,066 crore were seized under FEMA. The Ministry said till March this year, 992 complaints were filed in trial courts under PMLA convicting 23 accused while only one accused was discharged.

    1,811 NGOs lost FCRA licences
    The government has cancelled the FCRA licences of 1,811 NGOs for violation of provisions of the law in the last three years (2019-2021), according to the Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. Replying to a question in Parliament on Tuesday, he said that FCRA licence renewal applications of 783 NGOs were rejected by the government. The state-wise list given by the government shows that Tamil Nadu tops the list with 218 cancellations, followed by Maharashtra with 206. While 193 organisations in West Bengal lost their licence, Andhra Pradesh has 168 cancellations.

    2K Bangladeshis intercepted in 5 yrs
    Even as the Centre and the Assam government continue to be seized of the issue of illegal immigration along India’s eastern borders, 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals were “intercepted and found using fraudulently obtained Indian documents” in the last five years between 2017 and 2022, Minister of State for Home  Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha. The MHA said that state governments “have also been advised to share the particulars of those illegal migrants who have wrongfully obtained Aadhaar cards with UIDAI for appropriate legal action”. 

  • ‘Lalu was not scared and will not be scared from these governments’: Tejashwi Yadav 

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav launched a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi government following raids at the residential premises of his father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his mother Rabri Devi and eldest sister Misa Bharti in connection with ‘land for job’ scam in the railway. 

    Taking to his official Twitter account to put a brave face following raids, Tejashwi said, “The path of truth and fact is the path of fire and it is difficult but not impossible to move on this path. It may be delayed but only the truth emerges victorious.”

    “We are fighting and winning. Will continue to fight and will continue to win. Let the wind tell Delhi Durbars, Lalu was not scared and will not be scared from these governments,” he remarked.

    The CBI on Friday carried out simultaneous searches at the residential premises of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi in Patna and Gopalganj in Bihar and also at the residence of Misa Bharti, a Rajya Sabha member, in New Delhi.

    The raids were conducted when Tejashwi has gone to London with his wife to deliver his speech at a function. The CBI operation may define political equations in Bihar when corruption charges returned to haunt the RJD first family.

    In 2017, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had walked out of the grand alliance when his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav (son of Lalu Prasad) did not explain his corruption charges levelled against him.Now, it will be interesting to see whether Nitish seeks to distance himself from RJD particularly Tejashwi when corruption charges once again have started casting a shadow on the Lalu family.

    Meanwhile, RJD leaders claimed that the CBI raids were carried out at Lalu’s premises in view of recent bonhomie between Nitish and Tejashwi.  RJD MLC Sunil Kumar Singh said that the CBI raids might have taken place due to growing camaraderie between chief minister Nitish Kumar and leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav, particularly on the caste census.

    “Whether CBI raids were not a warning to Nitish as BJP was uncomfortable with growing proximity between Nitish and Tejashwi,” asked senior politician Shivanand Tiwari, who as a JD (U) leader along with another party leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh had submitted a memorandum to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the land for job scam.

    Interestingly, Shivanand is currently in RJD and is also considered a close aide of Lalu. The timing of raids was hinting at it, Tiwari added. JD (U) leaders, however, were cautious in their comments as senior minister Ashok Choudhary said that transparency was not maintained in the recruitment in the railways and corruption had also taken place. CBI might have got some evidence and so raids were being conducted after filing a fresh case.

    ‘It is absolutely wrong to link CBI raids with recent meetings between CM and Tejashwi,” the minister asserted. Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said Lalu procured land from people in lieu of giving them jobs in the railway. First, the beneficiary family registered land in the name of somebody else name and subsequently, that person gifted the land to Lalu, he elaborated.

  • Mohali explosion: Raids conducted across Punjab, no arrest yet

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has conducted raids across the state and rounded up suspects for questioning in connection with the explosion at its intelligence wing headquarters in Mohali.

    Police said they are examining the CCTV footage to trace the people involved in the incident.

    In an audacious attack on Monday, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at the third floor of the highly-guarded building in Mohali’s Sector 77 at 7.45 pm, which sent the state in a high alert mode.

    “Raids have been conducted across the state and possible suspects are being rounded up and questioned. CCTV footages are being extensively analysed to find out about the suspects involved,” the state police said in a statement. “Forensic experts are being roped in to further develop on clues regarding the case,” the statement said.

    In a CCTV footage of the grenade attack, regular traffic movement could be seen on the road in front of the building of the intelligence wing headquarters.

    Suddenly, there was a flash of light when a car passed through the road, suggesting that the RPG was fired from that car, as per the footage that surfaced on Wednesday. The video footage also shakes with the impact of the blast. However, it was not visible in the footage who fired the RPG.

    Meanwhile, police have detained a man from Tarn Taran district in connection with the Mohali explosion, sources said on Wednesday.

    Nishan Singh, a resident of Kulla village, will be questioned for his alleged role in the Mohali explosion incident, said the sources.

    Singh is already facing several criminal cases, including one related to attempt to murder and another under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The police on Tuesday had said that it had recovered the launcher used in the attack.

    The Mohali police had on Monday termed the explosion at the headquarters as minor. Police are suspecting the involvement of gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, who is believed to be in Pakistan, in the incident.

    Rinda has been taking the help of local gangsters to carry out anti-national activities here, police sources said. His name came up when a terror plot was foiled recently with the arrest of four suspected Pakistan-linked terrorists in Haryana’s Karnal.

    Rinda’s involvement was also detected in a hand-grenade attack at the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) office in Nawanshahr last month.

    In his statement after the attack, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised strictest punishment to those trying to spoil the state’s atmosphere.

    Mann, who had held a meeting with the Director General of Police V K Bhawra and other senior officials on Tuesday, had said that nobody would be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab.

    A case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Explosives Act was lodged at Mohali’s Sohana police station after the incident.

    Punjab Police chief Bhawra had earlier said that a projectile had hit the building and the explosive used in it seems to be TNT (trinitrotoluene).

  • ED conducts raids against Supertech group in Delhi-NCR

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids at multiple premises of real estate group Supertech in connection with a money-laundering investigation, officials said.

    They said at least nine premises of the builder group and its promoters were being searched by the agency in the National Capital Region.

    The Supreme Court had on August 31 ordered the demolition of the Noida located twin towers of the Supertech Group, which had come up in violation of building bylaws. It had set a three-month timeline for the demolition, which ends on November 30.

    The case pertains to the realty firm constructing two 40-storey towers illegally in its Emerald Court housing project premises with over 900 flats and 21 shops in the towers.

    Residents of the housing project claimed that their consent was not taken for the twin towers, which were being built in violation of norms, and moved court.

    The Allahabad High Court had in 2014 ordered the demolition of the twin towers with the Supreme Court upholding the verdict in 2021.

  • NCB arrests an absconding accused Regel Mahakal

    The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested one Regel Mahakal, who was absconding in a drugs case related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in Mumbai on Wednesday.

    Mahakal will be produced before a court later in the day. “He used to supply drugs to (another accused) Anuj Keshwani who further supplied it to others,” an official said.

    He added the NCB was also conducting raids at Milat Nagar, Lokhandwala, from where a substantial quantity of drugs has been recovered so far.

    The NCB had on September 12 conducted several searches in the case based on information provided by Keshwani who was arrested after one Kaizan Ebrahim disclosed his name. Ebrahim had said that Keshwani was his supplier for contrabands.The NCB, which is probing the drug angle in Sushant’s death case, started the investigation after it received official communication from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation.

    The ED had on July 31 registered a case information report in the actor’s death case after a First Information Report was filed by his father K K Singh against Rhea Chakraborty in Bihar on July 28. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14.