Latest news with #ACB
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Bizman sent to jail in liquor scam
1 2 3 Ranchi: Anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Friday produced Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania before the court in Ranchi in connection with the Rs 38 crore liquor scam in Jharkhand. The ACB did not pray for his police remand leading the court to send him to jail under judicial custody. The ACB had arrested Singhania from Raipur on Thursday. He was brought to Ranchi on a 72-hour transit remand. TNN The arrest came after the special ACB court in Ranchi issued an arrest warrant against Singhania. The ACB had prayed the court for warrant after Singhania failed to appear before for it on summons for facing questions related to case.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Cop seeking ‘pending bribe' from former bootlegger held
Ahmedabad: A constable posted at the Khedbrahma police station in Sabarkantha district was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a former bootlegger in a case linked to release of vehicles seized during a liquor raid. The accused, Vikas Patel, an unarmed police constable, was arrested on Thursday. According to the ACB, the complainant, a former bootlegger who claimed to have quit the liquor business in Nov 2024, has alleged that he was was being harassed for 'pending bribe' by Patel. The issue escalated after the complainant and his two associates were detained by the Sabarkantha special operations group (SOG) on May 17, and their three scooters were confiscated. Despite paying fines in court, they were unable to retrieve their vehicles. Upon visiting the police station, they were informed that Patel had the keys and registration documents and was unwilling to return them allegedly without a bribe. Patel allegedly demanded Rs 1.65 lakh but later agreed to release the scooters for Rs 1 lakh. The complainant then approached the police inspector, who reportedly advised him to clear dues with Patel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The complainant then approached the ACB, which laid a trap. On Thursday, Patel was caught in the act while accepting the bribe outside the Khedbrahma police station. The full amount was recovered from his possession. The operation was carried out by ACB officers D B Mehta and S N Barot of field unit-3, Ahmedabad, under Barot's supervision.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Delhi govt considers studying Dharavi model for slum redevelopment
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said Delhi govt is considering studying Mumbai's Dharavi model for slum redevelopment in the national capital. Gupta also claimed that some people were spreading misinformation regarding the demolition of slum clusters in Delhi. "If you construct a house near a railway line, the chief minister will not save you. I urge people to think about safety and security. If a railway accident happens or someone dies on railway tracks, who will be responsible?" she said. Gupta said that demolishing houses was not her govt's aim. "But it should not happen that we keep on giving homes and people do not vacate slums," she added. The CM said her govt is likely to study the Dharavi model for the redevelopment of 675 slum clusters in Delhi. When asked about the anti-corruption branch's summons to former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia in the classroom construction case, she said: "Everyone will have to face the music. Arvind Kejriwal will also have to return from Punjab. We do not want fugitive leaders." Sisodia appeared before the ACB for questioning on Friday. Gupta on Friday inspected and inaugurated various ongoing development projects across the Shalimar Bagh constituency — from Kasturba Polytechnic in Pitampura to near Rain Basera in Ambedkar Nagar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What is your writing missing? Grammarly Install Now Undo During the visit, she reviewed progress reports from departments and inspected the available facilities at the construction sites. She directed all officials to complete the work within the stipulated deadlines and with high-quality standards. The chief minister said that the objective of her govt was not just to carry out construction work but to improve the lives of citizens through every initiative. She said that the ongoing development projects were strong steps towards realising the vision of a "Viksit Dilli". The chief minister said that drainage, sewer, road and green infrastructure work are under way in various parts of the constituency, including Haiderpur, Ambedkar Colony and Shalimar village. Notably, these include the construction of central verge crash barriers from Prembari Bridge to Kasturba Polytechnic, Pitampura, as well as the construction of boundary walls from Singhpur Canal to Ring Road, at the vacant land adjacent to Kasturba Polytechnic, and near Singalpur village. These border infrastructure projects have a combined estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh. The boundary wall from Shalimar Chowk to near Fortis Hospital in BB Block is being raised at a cost of Rs 12 lakh. A new pump room is also being constructed near the Max Hospital Road at an estimated cost of Rs 25.5 lakh.
Hans India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Classroom case: ED raids 37 locations in Delhi, seizes 322 bank passbooks
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Delhi Zonal Office conducted search operations at 37 locations across the national Capital under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the Delhi classroom construction irregularities case and recovered digital evidence and 322 bank passbooks linked to mule accounts opened in the names of labourers, allegedly to divert government funds. "During the searches, original departmental files belonging to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and rubber stamps of officials of Public Works Department (PWD), various incriminating documents showing fake invoices submitted to GNCTD departments, showing inflated/bogus claims, digital evidence and 322 bank passbooks linked to mule accounts opened in the names of labourers to divert government funds were recovered and seized", said an ED Press statement on Friday. It is pertinent to note here that the ED initiated this investigation on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on April 30, alleging irregularities in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in government schools. On April 30, the ACB registered a FIR against senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers Manish Sisodia (the then Education Minister) and Satyendar Jain (the then Public Works Department minister) and others, over alleged corruption in the construction of classrooms. The FIR was pertaining to financial misappropriation exceeding Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of approximately 12,748 additional classrooms by the PWD, between 2015 and 2023. Notably, Manish Sisodia on Friday was questioned for nearly three hours by the ACB over the same case. The former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi left the ACB's office at around 2.40 P.M. after appearing before investigators around noon. While the former education minister accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing investigative agencies for political vendetta, the ACB said that the scam involved inflated costs in the construction of classrooms and school buildings under the Delhi government.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Bombay HC discharges CA of Chhagan Bhujbal, family in money laundering case by ED
The Bombay High Court Monday discharged the chartered accountant (CA) of NCP leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his family from a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2015. The high court, while hearing the criminal revision application by CA Shyam Radhakrishna Malpani, noted that the special court committed an error in rejecting the discharge plea in March 2021. A single-judge bench of Justice Rajesh N Laddha observed that 'mere absence of due diligence by applicant does not amount to the commission or omission of an offence under Section 3 (money laundering) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).' The ED had lodged a case against Chhagan Bhujbal and others based on a complaint filed by the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 2015. It was alleged that land belonging to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Andheri was handed over to a developer firm when Chhagan Bhujbal was the deputy chief minister and the state Public Works Department (PWD) minister of Maharashtra from 2004 to 2014. As per the agency, the said project was awarded to the developer in lieu of the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi and the RTO building in Tardeo. The ED had arrested Chhagan Bhujbal in 2015 for alleged money laundering, and he remained in custody until 2018, when the Bombay High Court granted him bail. Chhagan Bhujbal, his son Pankaj Bhujbal, nephew and former MP Sameer Bhujbal and five others were discharged by a special court in 2021 from the ACB case. In the case of Malpani, the ED had alleged that he actively participated in the offence of money laundering while serving as the CA for the entities controlled by the Bhujbals. As per the central agency, Malpani was responsible for auditing financial records and was aware of the suspicious transactions and sham arrangements carried out by these entities. Advocate Hiten Venegaonkar for ED argued that the applicant conducted audits of companies controlled by Bhujbals and, in doing so, camouflaged illicit transactions and concealed the unlawful flow of proceeds of crime generated by the Bhujbals. However, senior advocate Pranav Badheka for Malpani submitted that Chhagan Bhujbal and his family members were discharged by the special court in two predicate offences on which ED had lodged its case. Badheka argued that Malpani, who was a statutory auditor, had a limited role to form an opinion on whether company accounts are properly maintained or not and the auditor is not expected to function as an investigator. The plea claimed that Malpani audited financial accounts only for a period from the financial year ending March 2012 to 2015, and alleged proceeds of crime are claimed to have originated around 2007-08. Badheka argued that there was no evidence or material on record or in complaint to show that Malpani failed in his duties as auditor, and so he should be discharged from the case. Justice Laddha, in his order, observed that 'the role of the auditor is inherently distinct from that of the investigating agency.' 'The complaint lacks material to establish a nexus between the applicant and the alleged criminal conspiracy or money laundering activities. Moreover, the applicant has neither been named nor charge-sheeted in the related crimes, which further reinforces the absence of any direct or indirect involvement in the purported criminal conduct,' the high court held and set aside a special court order, discharging Malpani from the money laundering case.
