Latest news with #ACB
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Substantial evidence': ED opposes bail for ex-min Mahesh Joshi in JJM scam
Jaipur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday opposed the bail plea of former public health engineering department (PHED) minister Mahesh Joshi, who is currently in jail in connection with the multi-crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam. At a hearing in a special court for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED submitted that it had substantial evidence against Joshi, alleging that the proceeds of the crime were funnelled into a company owned by his son. The court will hear the matter on Thursday. On May 27, Joshi's counsel senior advocate Vivek Raj Bajwa had contended in the court that the former minister was not named in the initial FIR lodged by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) and argued that the ED failed to trace any proceeds of the crime back to him. Bajwa had argued that Joshi was being falsely implicated due to political rivalry. In response, ED's lawyer Ajatshatru S Mina Tuesday pointed to the four FIRs filed in the case by various govt investigation agencies, including one each by the Jaipur police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and two by the ACB. Mina told court that Joshi was named in one of these FIRs, which formed the basis of ED's enforcement case information report (ECIR). Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Provence-alpes-cote-d'azur: Voici l'astuce pour avoir des panneaux solaires sans payer l'installation ! Programme Ecologique Undo He elaborated on Joshi's alleged role in facilitating the approval of fraudulent bills for Shree Ganpati Tubewell Co and Shree Shyam Tubewell Co, and claimed he exerted undue influence on PHED officials to secure tenders based on a forged IRCON certificate. The ED further accused Joshi of directly benefiting from the scam's financial gains, which were reportedly invested in his son's company. Mina alleged that Joshi orchestrated the entire scam through an associate, Sanjay Badaya, and accused the proprietors of both tubewell firms of threatening PHED officials to ensure compliance of their demands, warning them of departmental transfers if they failed to do so. Joshi was arrested on April 24 when he appeared for questioning following a notice from the ED.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Business
- Indian Express
ACB summons Sisodia, Jain in case linked to construction of classrooms
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION Branch (ACB) of Delhi government on Tuesday issued summonses to former AAP ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in government schools when their party was in power. While Jain has been summoned to the ACB office on June 6, Sisodia has been asked to appear on June 9. On April 30, the ACB had registered an FIR against the two AAP leaders in connection with alleged corruption in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures during the previous AAP government's tenure. While Sisodia held the finance and education portfolios in the AAP government, Jain was the minister of health, industries, power, home, urban development, and PWD. Following the summonses, AAP said in a statement, 'This is not a scam by any stretch — it's a calculated political ploy by the BJP. They are weaponizing institutions to attack AAP leaders and create a false narrative… When Aam Aadmi Party held power in Delhi, the BJP systematically defanged the ACB to strip it of any real authority. Today, they are using the same weakened institution as a tool to target AAP leaders and further their own agenda.' Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma, who heads the ACB, had earlier confirmed the registration of the FIR. 'The Chief Technical Examiner's report of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) pointed out several anomalies in the project, and the report was kept under the carpet for about three years. The case was registered after permission under section 17-A Prevention of Corruption Act was received from the competent authority,' he said. In 2019, BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Harish Khurana and Neelkant Bakshi had filed a complaint alleging financial irregularities in the construction of classrooms in government schools in three zones. According to the complaint, the construction cost per room came out to approximately Rs 24.86 lakh, exponentially higher than the roughly Rs 5 lakh it takes for similar constructions in Delhi. They also alleged that the project was awarded to 34 contractors, most of whom were associated with the AAP. According to ACB officials, 12,748 semi-permanent structures were supposed to be built at a cost of Rs 1,200 per sqft but the cost shot up to around Rs 2,292 per sqft during construction. This cost escalation, which BJP leaders allege was a result of corruption, is now being probed by the ACB. Earlier, the CVC's report in 2020 said there were violations of government financial rules, CPWD manuals, and tendering processes. These include awarding contracts to firms allegedly associated with the ruling party without proper bidding, escalating project costs by 17% to 90% without inviting fresh tenders, engaging private consultants without following due procedure and duplication of work, execution of work without demand from schools, and mismanagement of timelines and funds, the report said. Sisodia and Jain were arrested by the CBI and ED in unrelated cases in the past and are currently out on bail. While Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi excise policy case, Jain was arrested in a money laundering case. Sakshi Chand is working as an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express. She has over a decade of experience in covering crime, prisons, traffic and human interest stories. She has also covered the communal clashes in Kasganj, Aligarh, Trilokpuri riots as well as the North-East Delhi riots. Apart from being a journalist, she is also a National level basketball player and a coach. Before joining the Indian Express, she was working for The Times of India. ... Read More
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Graft allegation against Munde: ACB calls Damania for inquiry
Mumbai: The ACB has called social activist Anjali Damania for an inquiry in connection with her complaint against leader and former cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde, said officials on Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Damania on Monday received a letter from the ACB in which she has been asked to remain present before the anti-graft agency's officials within two days, said an official. She had levelled allegations of corruption in the agriculture department when Munde held the portfolio during previous Mahayuti coalition government. In the ACB's letter, the activist has been asked to appear before its personnel with documents pertaining to the complaint against Munde. Damania shared the letter in a post on her X handle late on Monday and mentioned that she will go to the ACB office to present her case on Wednesday. Earlier this year, Damania alleged a Rs 88 crore scam in the agriculture department when Munde held the portfolio in the previous Mahayuti government. Despite the Union govt's 2016 directive to transfer money directly to farmers' bank accounts under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the agriculture department purchased equipment and fertilisers for distribution to farmers at inflated rates, she claimed. Munde had dismissed Damania's allegations as "baseless and ridiculous". In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, environment minister and BJP leader Pankaja Munde said she was ready to face problems if the people are with her, while referring to the exile of Pandavas and noting that righteous people inevitably experience hardships in their lives. A highlight of the occasion was the first public appearance of NCP leader and Pankaja's embattled cousin Dhananjay Munde after months of political slugfest. PTI
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC asks ACB if it will reconstitute probe team against staffer accused of bribery
The Delhi high court on Monday asked the anti-corruption branch (ACB) whether it was willing to reconstitute the special investigation team probing a case against a court staffer accused of soliciting bribes for facilitating bail, by replacing the additional commissioner of police (ACP) against whom the staffer had earlier raised concerns. The suggestion came from a bench of justice Tushar Rao Gedela after senior advocate Mohit Mathur, appearing for the staffer, Mukesh Kumar, and assisted by Ayush Jain, submitted that the officer named in a complaint filed by Kumar in January was now part of the team investigating him. ACB's standing counsel, Sanjeev Bhandari, confirmed the inclusion of the ACP in the probe team. Kumar, in January, had sought a transfer, alleging threats from the ACP, including being falsely implicated in a criminal case. Taking note of these submissions, justice Gedela told Bhandari: 'Then there is a big problem. We advise you to think about this. We are nobody to direct this... it must not just be transparent, but also seen to be transparent. He (Kumar) may be right or wrong, but we are testing your credibility. Therefore, remove that bias. Even if there is an apprehension, remove that apprehension. Resolve that and come back on Friday.' While advising the ACB to review the composition of its investigation team, the judge also noted that prima facie material appeared to implicate Kumar, and cautioned that serious consequences would follow if he were found guilty. 'As of now, subject to your arguments, there appears to be something implicating you. This is our prima facie opinion. We're not going to brook any kind of corruption. If we find that a staffer is doing something he is not supposed to do, we will act accordingly. This is an institution. We are not going to tolerate misconduct by our staff,' Justice Gedela told Mathur, listing the matter for further hearing on June 6. The ACB had registered a first information report (FIR) against Kumar (38) on May 16 under Section 7 (public servant taking bribe) and Section 13 (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 61 (criminal conspiracy) and 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Kumar was posted in the court of a special judge at Rouse Avenue Court. On May 20, four days after the FIR was filed, the Delhi high court transferred the special judge of that court to the North West district 'with immediate effect.' The judge had been presiding over the Special ACB Court, which handles Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion cases. In January, prior to filing the FIR, the ACB had written to the Delhi government's law secretary seeking sanction to prosecute both Kumar and the judge. This request was forwarded to the high court, which in February declined to grant sanction against the judge, citing insufficient evidence. However, the ACB was allowed to continue its probe and advised to return with further material, if available. The court made its observations while hearing two petitions filed by Kumar. One challenged a city court's May 22 order denying him anticipatory bail; the other sought quashing of the FIR and transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Kumar alleged in his plea that the FIR was a 'counterblast' to judicial orders by the judge threatening contempt proceedings against ACB officials. He claimed the ACB, a principal litigant in several pending matters before the judge, had acted vindictively and that its officers had threatened him with dire consequences, prompting his earlier request for transfer. On May 27, the high court declined to grant Kumar interim protection from arrest, citing the seriousness of the allegations.
The Print
a day ago
- The Print
GST inspector held in Haryana's Palwal while accepting bribe: Anti-Corruption Bureau
Faridabad (Hry), Jun 2 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Faridabad arrested a female GST inspector of the office of the Palwal district excise and taxation commissioner on Monday while she was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 in lieu of issuing a GST number to a complainant, an official said. According to a statement issued by the ACB, accused Sumitra was also arrested in Panipat in 2022 while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh, along with co-accused ETO Roshan Lal. A senior ACB officer said in the Panipat case, a chargesheet was filed against both the accused in July 2022 and the matter is still sub-judice.
