Latest news with #PoC
India.com
10-08-2025
- Business
- India.com
Robert Vadra-Linked 7 Firms In Delhi Named By ED As Accused In money Laundering Case
Businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, used as many as seven firms linked to him and registered at an address in Sukhdev Vihar in Delhi in a tainted land deal in Gurugram in 2008, shows a prosecution complaint filed by the ED. All the seven firms have been named as accused in the case. In its complaint filed in a Special PMLA court, ED has shed light on Vadra's several alleged illicit acts like false statement with regards to receipt of sale consideration, under valuation of the land and loss of stamp duty caused to the state government. While alleging that Vadra received received Rs 58 crore as proceeds of crime (PoC) of the involved money laundering, the ED said its investigation led to the provisional attachment of 43 immovable properties, totaling Rs 38.69 crore, identified as direct or value equivalent to Proceeds of Crime. The Special PMLA court has fixed August 28 to take cognisance of the ED complaint filed on July 17 and issued a notice to Vadra. In the ED chargesheet, Vadra has been named as Accused Number 1 along with 10 others, including seven companies. The ED alleged that Vadra's company Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, despite having less capital, bought 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur, Gurugram from Omkareshwar Properties Private Limited for Rs 7.50 crore. The probe agency claimed that Vadra virtually got the land for free. It said he had never issued the cheque to the seller of the land and the cheque mentioned in the sale deed did not pertain to the buyer, implying that Vadra never paid the money mentioned as sale consideration in the deed. 'Moreover, the cheque mentioned in the sale deed was much lower than the prevalent market rate which is evident from the fact that the seller itself was selling its other land in the nearby vicinity at much higher rates as compared to the rates mentioned in the sale deed dated February 12, 2008,' it said. The probe agency said that despite the application stating 3.53 acres, only 1.35 acre were available for commercial licensing, below the 2-acre minimum. 'Nevertheless, Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) officials in Chandigarh proceeded with the application by including land designated for a sector road. Statements from DTCP officials revealed pressure from higher authorities to accelerate the process. The file also showed backdating and alterations to the sector road plan to help M/s SLHPL qualify for the licence,' said the ED complaint. The other accused named in the ED prosecution complaint are: Satyanand Yajee; Kewal Singh Virk; Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited (now converted into Skylight Hospitality LLP); Sky Light Realty Private Limited, Real Earth Estates Private Limited (now converted into Real Earth Estates LLP), Blue Breeze Trading Private Limited, Artex, North India IT Parks Private Limited, Lambodar Art Enterprises India Private Limited (now converted into Lambodar Art Enterprises India LLP) and SGY Properties Private Limited (earlier known as Onkareshwer Properties Private Limited).
Hans India
10-08-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Robert Vadra-linked 7 firms in Delhi named by ED as accused in money laundering case
Businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, used as many as seven firms linked to him and registered at an address in Sukhdev Vihar in Delhi in a tainted land deal in Gurugram in 2008, shows a prosecution complaint filed by the ED. All the seven firms have been named as accused in the case. In its complaint filed in a Special PMLA court, ED has shed light on Vadra's several alleged illicit acts like false statement with regards to receipt of sale consideration, under valuation of the land and loss of stamp duty caused to the state government. While alleging that Vadra received received Rs 58 crore as proceeds of crime (PoC) of the involved money laundering, the ED said its investigation led to the provisional attachment of 43 immovable properties, totaling Rs 38.69 crore, identified as direct or value equivalent to Proceeds of Crime. The Special PMLA court has fixed August 28 to take cognisance of the ED complaint filed on July 17 and issued a notice to Vadra. In the ED chargesheet, Vadra has been named as Accused Number 1 along with 10 others, including seven companies. The ED alleged that Vadra's company Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, despite having less capital, bought 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur, Gurugram from Omkareshwar Properties Private Limited for Rs 7.50 crore. The probe agency claimed that Vadra virtually got the land for free. It said he had never issued the cheque to the seller of the land and the cheque mentioned in the sale deed did not pertain to the buyer, implying that Vadra never paid the money mentioned as sale consideration in the deed. 'Moreover, the cheque mentioned in the sale deed was much lower than the prevalent market rate which is evident from the fact that the seller itself was selling its other land in the nearby vicinity at much higher rates as compared to the rates mentioned in the sale deed dated February 12, 2008,' it said. The probe agency said that despite the application stating 3.53 acres, only 1.35 acre were available for commercial licensing, below the 2-acre minimum. 'Nevertheless, Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) officials in Chandigarh proceeded with the application by including land designated for a sector road. Statements from DTCP officials revealed pressure from higher authorities to accelerate the process. The file also showed backdating and alterations to the sector road plan to help M/s SLHPL qualify for the licence,' said the ED complaint. The other accused named in the ED prosecution complaint are: Satyanand Yajee; Kewal Singh Virk; Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited (now converted into Skylight Hospitality LLP); Sky Light Realty Private Limited, Real Earth Estates Private Limited (now converted into Real Earth Estates LLP), Blue Breeze Trading Private Limited, Artex, North India IT Parks Private Limited, Lambodar Art Enterprises India Private Limited (now converted into Lambodar Art Enterprises India LLP) and SGY Properties Private Limited (earlier known as Onkareshwer Properties Private Limited).
India Today
10-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Robert Vadra received Rs 58 crore in proceeds of crime in land deal case: ED
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its chargesheet said that Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, received Rs 58 crore as Proceeds of Crime (PoC) from a corrupt land deal in Gurugram. According to the ED, Rs 5 crore was routed through Blue Breeze Trading Private Limited (BBTPL) and Rs 53 crore through Sky Light Hospitality Private Limited (SLHPL).advertisementThe chargesheet also revealed that these funds were allegedly used by Vadra to purchase immovable properties, make investments, provide loans and advances and clear liabilities of group companies linked to case involving Robert Vadra dates back to September 2018, when an FIR was filed against him, along with former Haryana Chief Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, real estate firm DLF and a property dealer. The FIR includes allegations of corruption, forgery and cheating among other to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Vadra's company acquired a 3.5-acre plot in Shikophur, Gurgaon, from Omkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore in February 2008. The company later sold the land to real estate giant DLF for Rs 58 ED is investigating the money trail, suspecting the proceeds may be linked to money the latest chargesheet filed by the ED, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on July 18, accused the central government of conducting a decade-long "witch hunt" against Vadra."My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt. I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X."I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail," he is the first time any investigative agency has named the 56-year-old businessman in a criminal prosecution last month, a PTI report stated that ED has attached 43 immovable properties worth over Rs 37 crore across Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Gujarat. These properties are allegedly linked to Vadra and his companies, including Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
AIC-CCMB planning trials for Chikungunya vaccine with indigenously developed mRNA technology
CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) is planning to go ahead with the next stage larger-scale trials of the indigenously developed mRNA vaccine technology for tackling Chikungunya. 'Chikungunya is a serious, major debilitating disease in India and it does not yet have a vaccine. We have already demonstrated the ability to make use of mRNA technology to develop vaccines with a 'Proof of Concept' (PoC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our lab data trials show our Chikungunya vaccine works,' disclosed AIC-CCMB chief executive officer N. Madhusudhana Rao. Results of lab experiments The lab experiments conducted on animals showed that the vaccine candidate can produce antibodies against Chikungunya proteins. The next phase will be to infect the animals and check if the virus load has decreased upon injecting the developed vaccine, he explained. The CEO said the institute had also completed initial trials into a potential mRNA vaccine to prevent tuberculosis (TB). But, to go into the next stage of animal trials and more elaborate testing, adequate funding is required, for which different options are being explored. How vaccines work? Vaccines work by preparing and training the immune system to identify disease-causing microorganisms and eliminate them quickly when the system encounters them. In mRNA technology, the host cell's immune system is trained to evade the real infection by introducing mRNA of an important protein of the microorganism of concern into the host, said Mr. Rao. Interestingly, though AIC had developed the PoC for mRNA technology in less than a year and had announced the same two years ago, it did not elicit much response from either the Indian industry or foreign collaborators. 'There were a few firms which evinced interest in making use of our mRNA technology for vaccine research. But they never came back with concrete proposals. It is an accepted fact that firms spend millions to take licenses from abroad rather than spend a few lakhs on local technology,' said Mr. Rao, a former senior scientist of the CSIR-CCMB. Comirnaty (by Pfizer) or Spikevax (by Moderna) are based on mRNA technology for COVID and found to be extremely effective. The mRNA technology is considered chemically safe with no long-term challenges. The one developed in AIC-CCMB too is based on the existing mRNA vaccine model. It is as safe as the one approved by the US Food & Drug Administration Agency and had undergone a third party quality check, affirmed the CEO. mRNA works much better on viruses and vaccines can be developed for other diseases faster. 'It is unfortunate that there are few takers for our technology, though many are trying the same through different platforms. But we want to go ahead with our trials for the potential Chikungunya and TB vaccine candidates now with different partners,' added Mr. Rao.
New Indian Express
09-07-2025
- New Indian Express
ED releases Rs 3.82 crore to Karnataka Waqf Board
BENGALURU: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru zonal office, has released properties valued at Rs 3,82,74,444 to the Karnataka Waqf Board, which was the victim of money laundering and the legitimate claimant in the Shusheela Chintamani and others case, currently under investigation by the ED. The ED stated that its investigation was on the basis of an FIR filed against two Vijaya Bank officials and Syed Siraj Ahmed, the then first division assistant with the Waqf Board. 'The Waqf Board had issued two cheques amounting to Rs 4,00,45,465 to open fixed deposit accounts at Vijaya Bank. However, instead of opening the FDs, the money was siphoned off by transferring to fictitious entities,' the ED stated. The agency added, 'Rs 4 cr was transferred to M/s Verkeys Realities Pvt Ltd, which spent Rs 1.10 cr to purchase a Mercedes car from Ghatge Motors Pvt Ltd. Rs 2,72,74,444 was transferred back to the account of M/s Ajay Sharma Trading Corp.' ED uncovered these 'illicit financial transactions and proper money trail of PoC and issued a Provisional Attachment Order of Rs 3,82,74,444'. On March 31, 2017, the ED filed a prosecution complaint before the Special PMLA Court in Bengaluru, against six individuals and entities, including Verkeys Realities. 'In line with the PMLA and its core objective of ensuring the restitution POC to the legitimate victims, the ED did not raise any objections when the Additional Sessions Judge considered the release of funds to the Karnataka State Waqf Board, which is the rightful claimant in this case,' the Central agency stated. On July 1, 2025, the ED facilitated the release of the entire amount.
