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ED doubts Saket Gokhale’s claim of Rahul Gandhi’s aide paying cash

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has questioned Alankar Sawai, a close aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in connection with a money laundering case lodged against arrested Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale for allegedly misusing around Rs 1 crore, collected through crowd funding.

The ED has learnt that Gokhale had collected around Rs 80 lakhs through crowd funding using an online platform, whereas cash amounting to Rs 23.54 lakhs was also deposited into his account.

IANS is in the possession of ED documents which suggests that the probe agency doubts his claims.

When the ED asked Gokhale about the Rs 23.54 lakhs, he said the amount was given to him in cash by Sawai.

“We asked him as to why Alankar Sawai will pay him in cash? Gokhale replied that only Sawai could answer this question. We asked whether there was any written agreement between Sawai and him in respect of Social media work, Gokhale said that it was only verbal agreement,” ED sources said.

Sawai was called to join the investigation on several occasions.

The sources claimed that he was questioned on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

During the questioning, Sawai denied that any payment was made to Gokhale.

The ED sources said that there is no proof as of now to prove that he made the payment and they will confront him together with Gokhale.

“The money was deposited in November 2021 whereas he joined the Trinamool Congress in August 2021. In such case why he will promote Congress party? This is the reason we doubt his ststement,” the sources said.

Funds raised through the campaign “Support Saket in his transparency battle” were used for his sustenance and other social cause activities.

The ED has also alleged that the funds were used for helping his father Suhas Gokhale with his health and legal expenses relating to his promotion.

The agency asked him to provide them a list of freelancers engaged by him to amplify his work, to this Saket Gokhale stated that he did not remember the names.

He also said that he even didn’t know how much amount he had paid to freelancers.

When the ED asked him about the investment in share market, Saket Gokhale stated that he invested the funds raised through crowdfunding in the sharemarket with the hope that the return on investment would sustain him in the long term without having to raise additional funds

Saket Gokhale’s statement was recorded on January 19, 2022, wherein initially he said that he had informed to the donors right from the beginning that the crowd funding is for his sustenance so that he can carry his work full time without having to take up a job.

However when he was shown his post shared on May 23, 2019, seeking support and contribution for campaign ‘SaketversusModi’ in which nowhere he had mentioned that purpose of funds was for his sustenance, he backtracked from his earlier statement by saying that in this campaign he had not raised funds for his sustenance but for later campaigns were for his sustenance.

Crime

RG Kar victim’s parents yet to secure death certificate even after six months

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Kolkata, Feb 22: Over six months have passed since the shocking rape and murder of a junior woman doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital but her parents are still to get a copy of her death certificate.

The body of the victim was recovered from a seminar hall within the premises of the state-run institution early on August 9 last year.

The victim’s parents have alleged that they have been unable to get the death certificate till now as the R.G. Kar and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities are shifting the responsibility onto each other.

According to them, the KMC authorities are claiming that since the “place of death” is R.G. Kar, it is the responsibility of the hospital authorities to provide the death certificate.

On the other, the R.G. Kar authorities claim that if a patient dies within the hospital premises or is even brought dead to the hospital, the death certificate will have to be provided by the KMC authorities, the parents added.

The victim’s parents have further claimed that although they have not got a copy of the death certificate, it has been mentioned in the court documents, as per the statement of a medical officer attached to R.G. Kar.

They now say if the death certificate is mentioned in the court documents, why was a copy of the certificate not handed over to them?

Last week, a special court in Kolkata, which had convicted and sentenced civic volunteer Sanjay Roy in the rape and murder case, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a fresh progress report on its investigation in the matter on February 24.

Since the special court has already pronounced the sentence for the convict in the main crime of rape and murder, legal circles feel that the fresh progress report will be related to the angle of tampering with the evidence in the case.

It is learnt that the special court had directed the CBI to submit a fresh progress report following a complaint filed by the counsel of the victim’s family accusing the central agency of not updating the court on the progress of investigation in the matter periodically.

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Crime

Ten persons arrested for attack on Congress MP, says Assam CM

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Guwahati, Feb 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that ten persons have been arrested in connection with the attack on Congress MP Rakibul Hussain.

Taking to social media platform X, CM Sarma said, “The police have identified the individuals involved in the alleged incident of assault on Congress MP Sri Rakibul Hussain.”

He also mentioned that the actions will be taken as per the law.

The Dhubri MP was attacked while attending a public programme in the Nagaon district.

The Congress MP had to run from the spot wearing a helmet to save himself. The security officers of Hussain sustained minor injuries in the attack.

In a viral video, it was seen that some masked miscreants initially showed black flags to the Congress MP and after that attacked him.

In the video, Hussian was seen fleeing from the spot in a two-wheeler to save himself from the attack.

The incident that happened in the Ruporihat locality drew criticism from the opposition with Congress leaders training guns on the BJP government.

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, launched a sharp attack on the BJP government as Congress MP Hussain was attacked on Thursday.

Gogoi said, “In Assam, a Congress Lok Sabha MP is attacked by thugs in broad daylight in a busy marketplace. The goons even attack the police security officers and try to snatch their weapons. All of this is recorded on camera. Yet the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma refuses to ensure that the thugs will be arrested immediately.”

“The Chief Minister should at least think of his constitutional duty towards Assam Police and the innocent civilians in the marketplace. If the goons had got hold of the machine gun, a terrible tragedy could have taken place. The attitude of the Chief Minister will only embolden the thieves, dacoits, smugglers and those accused of murder. Democracy is under threat and people of Assam want freedom from this gunda raj culture,” he added.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia said it was a “failure” of the police and administration.

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Crime

New India Co-operative Bank Scam: EOW Arrests Former CEO Abhimanyu Bhoan

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Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has made another arrest in the New India Co-operative Bank scam. Former CEO Abhimanyu Bhoan has been taken into custody, making him the third accused in the case.

The Court has remanded accused into police Custody untill February 28.Bhoan’s arrest follows an ongoing investigation into financial irregularities within the bank, which allegedly led to taken place during his working period.

The authorities suspect his involvement in mismanagement and fraudulent transactions.Further investigation is underway, and officials believe that more arrests may follow in the case.

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