Dehradun, Dec 29: Presenting fresh evidence, the ED filed a third chargesheet before a Special Court (PMLA), Dehradun, naming the wife of a member of an international drug trafficking organisation in a case related to illegal assets, an official said.

Amarpreet Kaur Chawla, wife of Banmeet Singh, was named in the fresh set of charges filed on December 24 in the Special Court (PMLA), the official said in a statement.

During the investigation, the ED detected that many of the immovable properties bought by the drug trafficking organisation with Proceeds of Crime (POC) were registered in Amanpreet Kaur’s name.

“Based upon these findings, the ED has also issued a Provisional Attachment Order in this case for assets totalling Rs 9.68 crore on July 18, 2024, under the provisions of PMLA, 2002,” said the ED statement.

The ED initiated an investigation based on the Mutual Legal Assistance request by the US authorities invoking a unique provision of section 2(ra) of PMLA, 2002, implying an offence of cross-border implications.

The scheduled offences correspond to the NDPS Act. Two brothers, Banmeet Singh and Parvinder Singh, along with others, were operating an international drug trafficking group named the Singh DTO (Drug Trafficking Organisation).

“They used vendor marketing sites on the dark web, numerous free advertisements on clear web websites, and a network of narcotics and controlled substance distributors and distribution cells to sell drugs in the US, the UK and other European countries,” the ED said.

The Singh Organisation received the drug trafficking proceeds through sale on dark web markets, then laundered those proceeds through cryptocurrency transactions, the ED said.

Both brothers used monikers “Liston” on a variety of dark web markets, including Silk Road 1, Alpha Bay and Hansa, the ED said.

Till now, the ED in the earlier searches, seized 268.22 Bitcoins (approx.), equivalent to the value of Rs 130 crore, based on the information provided by Parvinder Singh, who is currently in judicial custody along with his brother.

Earlier, the ED filed Prosecution Complaints against the main accused Parvinder Singh and Banmeet Singh on June 24, 2024 and July 26, 2024, on which the Special Court (PMLA), Dehradun, has already taken cognisance on July 2, 2024 and July 27, 2024, respectively.

The Court has already framed the charges against Banmeet Singh through its order dated March 22, 2025.

New Delhi, Dec 29: AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the operation of the Delhi High Court order that had suspended the life sentence and granted bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case, stating that the intervention sends a strong message that crimes against women and children will not be treated lightly.

Taking to social media platform X, Maliwal said: “Welcome the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court staying the High Court order granting bail and suspending the sentence of convicted MLA Kuldeep Sengar.”

“In a case marked by extreme brutality against a minor, justice must be uncompromising. This intervention sends a strong message that crimes against women and children will not be treated lightly,” she added.

In its order, a three-judge Supreme Court bench said: “We are conscious of the fact that when a convict or an undertrial has been released, such orders are not ordinarily stayed by this court without hearing such persons. But in view of peculiar facts, where the convict is also convicted for a separate offence, we stay the operation of the Delhi High Court.”

The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, issued notice to Sengar in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea and directed that a counter-affidavit be filed within four weeks.

The apex court clarified that Sengar will not be released pursuant to the impugned Delhi High Court’s order.

The CJI-led Bench agreed to examine the submission of Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who argued that the Delhi High Court’s interpretation would mean a police constable could be treated as a “public servant” under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while a member of the legislature would stand excluded.

Appearing for the CBI, SG Mehta said the Delhi High Court “erred” in concluding that a legislator would not fall within the category of a “public servant” for the award of sentence.

Placing on record the trial court’s conviction order, the Centre’s second-highest law officer highlighted that the victim was below 16 years of age — approximately 15 years and 10 months — at the time the offence of rape was committed on her.

Raipur/Bijapur, Dec 29: In a major success against Left-Wing Extremism, a joint team comprising personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force’s 214 Battalion based at Kandlaparti camp and the local District force conducted a search operation in the Kandlaparti area on December 28, successfully recovering and neutralising a Maoist-planted improvised explosive device (IED) along with a significant dump of insurgent materials, said police officials.

During routine area domination and demining activities in the Maoist-affected forests of Bijapur district, a hotspot in the Bastar region known for frequent ambushes and explosive traps, was the target. While sweeping a footpath near the Kandlaparti road, the alert team detected a 5-kilogram IED strategically placed by Maoists to target patrolling security personnel or civilians, the police officials said.

Adhering to strict safety protocols, the CRPF’s Bomb Disposal Team swiftly neutralised the device on the spot, averting a potential catastrophe that could have caused heavy casualties. The IED’s placement highlighted the ongoing threat posed by Maoists, who often use such pressure-triggered explosives to disrupt development works and instil fear in remote villages. Following the successful neutralisation, the forces intensified their search in the surrounding dense jungle, leading to the discovery of a hidden Maoist dump.

The cache contained a variety of items intended to sustain insurgent activities and fabricate further explosives. Among the recovered materials were 20 pieces of firecrackers or crude bombs, a wireless set battery, mobile batteries and chargers, cordex wire along with a pressure switch, electrical wires, various tools, tarpaulin sheets, Maoist uniforms, documents, literature, and other supplies essential for guerrilla operations.

Security officials described the recovery as a severe setback to Maoist plans in the region, praising the vigilance, quick decision-making, and coordinated action of the joint team for thwarting what could have been a deadly attack. Such dumps are typically used by Maoists to store logistics for prolonged stays in the forests while planning ambushes or recruiting from local tribes.

The operation underscores the intensified anti-Naxal campaigns in Chhattisgarh, where new forward operating bases like Kandlaparti have been established to dominate core areas and facilitate road construction and development. Search and area domination exercises are ongoing to ensure lasting peace, secure villages, and encourage surrenders among remaining cadres.

This incident comes amid a series of recent successes against Maoists in Bastar, reflecting the security forces’ commitment to eradicating insurgency and bringing normalcy to one of India’s most challenging internal security frontiers.