Latest news with #UnionMinistryofFinance
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Gold smuggling case: Actor Tarun Konduru's mother moves Karnataka HC against his detention under Cofeposa law
The mother of Telugu film actor Tarun Konduru, who was arrested in connection with the probe into the Bengaluru gold smuggling racket, has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to declare as illegal his detention for a year under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Cofeposa). The plea is likely to be heard this week. Rama Rao, the mother of Tarun Konduru alias Virat Konduru, 36, moved the court with a habeas corpus petition last week after a judicial advisory board – which reviews detentions under the Cofeposa law – upheld an April 22 detention order of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau under the Union Ministry of Finance. Rama has sought an order from the high court declaring the April 22 detention order 'illegal and void.' In May, a special court for economic offences had granted statutory bail to the actor and sureties were posted by the family for his release, but the Cofeposa detention has prevented it. Tarun has been lodged in a Bengaluru prison since March. Tarun, who is the son of a prominent Bengaluru businessman, was arrested on March 9 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) after he was found to be linked to Kannada actress Ranya Rao alias Harshavardini Ranya, 33. The actress was arrested from Bengaluru airport on March 4 while smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore from Dubai. Ranya, Konduru and a hawala agent Sahil Jain are alleged to have been part of a large racket which smuggled nearly 100 kg of gold into India within a span of 18 months. All three were detained under the Cofeposa law in April. Ranya's mother had approached the high court on May 12 with a habeas corpus petition for her release from Cofeposa detention. The plea is likely to be heard this week.
Mint
05-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Finance Ministry denies reports of Nirmala Sitharaman demanding fund cuts to Pakistan
The Union Ministry of Finance has denied media reports claiming that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has demanded fund cuts to Pakistan amid rising tensions with India following the Pahalgam terror attack. 'It is clarified this news is incorrect and has no basis in fact,' the ministry said in a statement on X. Earlier, several media houses had reported that Sitharaman had demaded from Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda the halting of funds to Pakistan. Reports also suggested that she made the same request to her Italian counterpart Giancarlo Giorgetti. The reports suggested that Sitharaman made the requests on the sidelines of the 58th ADB Annual Meeting in Italian city of Milan. As of December 31, 2024, ADB has committed 764 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance totalling $43.4 billion to Pakistan. ADB's current sovereign portfolio in Pakistan includes 53 loans and 3 grants worth $9.13 billion. As per United Nations Development Programme website, the Italian Development Cooperation is an essential UNDP partner in Pakistan and across the world. "Some of Italy's major initiatives and contributions are in Pakistan," UNDP website read. (This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates) First Published: 5 May 2025, 07:59 PM IST
