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Rs 18,000 cr returned to banks from Mallya, Nirav & Choksi: Centre to SC

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Nirav-Modi

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that Rs 18,000 crore have been returned to the banks in the case of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi.

Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before a bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar that the total proceeds of crimes in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases pending before the top court amounts to Rs 67,000 crore.

He further added that as on date 4,700 cases are being investigated by the Directorate of Enforcement and the number of the cases taken up for investigation each year in the last 5 years varies from 111 cases in 2015-16 to 981 in 2020-21. Mehta submitted before the bench that Rs 18,000 crore have been returned to the banks in the case of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

The top court is hearing a clutch of petitions, challenging the wide scope of powers available to the directorate of enforcement (ED) for search, seizure, investigation, and attachment of proceeds of crime under the law.

Mehta submitted before the bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C.T. Ravikumar, that during the last five years (2016-17 to 2020-21), only 2,086 cases were taken up for investigation under the PMLA out of registration of FIR of approximately 33 lakh for predicate offences by the police and other enforcement agencies.

He added, “very small number of cases are being taken up for investigation under the PMLA as compared to annual registration of the cases under the Money Laundering Act in the UK (7,900), the US (1,532), China (4,691), Austria (1,036), Hongkong (1,823), Belgium (1,862) and Russia (2,764)”.

Mehta emphasized that the measures against money-laundering have clearly left embryo of drug or terrorism related offences and moved beyond the same. “Further, the efforts against money laundering have consistently advocated to include the widest range of predicate offences in the domestic laws,” he added.

Over the past few weeks, a battery of senior advocates, including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Mukul Rohatgi, Sidharth Luthra, Amit Desai, and others have made submissions before the top court on various aspects related to potential misuse of PMLA provisions introduced by way of amendments to the Act.

The law has been criticised on various aspects: stringent bail conditions, non-communication of grounds of arrest, arrest of persons without supply of ECIR (akin to FIR), broad definitions of money laundering and proceeds of crime, and statements given by accused during investigation made admissible as evidence during trial.

Crime

Arms, ammunition, narcotics recovered by security forces in J&K’s Kupwara

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Srinagar, Dec 18: Security forces said on Wednesday that a large cache of arms, ammunition and narcotics was recovered during searches in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Kupwara district.

Officials said on Wednesday, “Security forces, including the Army and the police recovered four pistols, six pistol magazines, four kilograms of narcotics, and other incriminating materials during a search operation in the general area of Amrohi, Tangdhar in Kupwara District.”

Security forces have started an aggressive campaign against terrorists, their Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in order to dismantle the terror ecosystem in J&K.

Properties worth multiples of crores belonging to drug smugglers and peddlers have been attached in Kashmir Valley after obtaining requisite orders from the competent authority.

Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha has been chairing top-level security meetings.

During these meetings the LG has given clear orders to the security forces to go all-out against the terror ecosystem.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah is chairing a top level security review meeting regarding J&K on Thursday in Delhi.

Chiefs of Intelligence agencies, police, CAPFs and others connected with the anti-terrorist grid in J&K will attend the meeting.

Security forces revised their strategy after terrorists carried out some dastardly attacks in the aftermath of peaceful people participative Lok Sabha and legislative Assembly elections in J&K.

These elections were witnessed by diplomats of many countries and this, according to Intelligence agencies, has frustrated the terror handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan.

Intelligence inputs indicate that the terror handlers have given directions to terrorists in J&K to give dying terrorism its last push.

Heightened vigilance is also being maintained at the border in J&K following reports that terrorists are waiting at the launching pads to sneak into the Indian side of the border before the mountain passes are closed by this season’s snow.

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Crime

RG Kar case: Calcutta HC admits petition challenging denial of police permission for protest

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Kolkata, Dec 17: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday morning admitted a petition by the West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors, an umbrella association of senior doctors, challenging the denial of permission from Kolkata Police to stage a 10-day sit-in-demonstration to protest the “default bail” to two accused — Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal — of tampering of evidence.

However, the original schedule of the sit-in-protest which was to start from Tuesday evening till December 26, had been upset since the hearing into the matter is likely to take place on Wednesday, confirmed an office bearer of the association.

The association had earlier sent an email communiqué to Kolkata Police seeking permission for the sit-in-demonstration at Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata. However, as the police denied the permission citing the possibility of traffic congestion in the area as the reason, the association on Tuesday morning approached Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, challenging the denial of police permission, which was admitted.

Last Friday, the special court in Kolkata granted “default bail” to the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal, following CBI’s failure to file a charge sheet against them the stipulated within 90 days of their arrests.

Both Ghosh and Mondal were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with evidence during the initial investigation carried out by the Kolkata Police.

The CBI has so far filed only one charge sheet in the matter where civic volunteer Sanjay Roy has been identified as the “sole prime” accused in the rape and murder case.

Already West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, an umbrella body of junior doctors in the state, has threatened to resume their ceasework protest which they withdrew earlier keeping the larger public interest in mind.

The parents of the victim lady doctor have already claimed that following CBI’s failure in the matter “protests on the streets” with spontaneous public support is the only way out left for them now.

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Crime

RG Kar case: Doctors’ body may move Calcutta High Court today as police refuse to allow protest

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Kolkata, Dec 17: West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors, an umbrella association of senior doctors in the state, might move Calcutta High Court on Tuesday challenging the denial of permission by Kolkata Police to stage a 10-day sit-in-demonstration to protest the “default bail” to the two accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case.

The said protest demonstration at Doreena Crossing in central Kolkata was slated to start on Tuesday evening and continue till December 26.

An association office-bearer said that in reply to their email communique to Kolkata Police seeking police permission for the sit-in protest, the city police denied it citing the possibility of traffic congestion in the area.

“In our communique, we assured the city police that there would be a peaceful sit-in-protest on one side of the street, leaving no chance for traffic congestion or deterioration in the law & order problem. However, the police have claimed that during this part of the year, several people gather in the area on occasions of Christmas and Yearend and citing them as reasons, the permission has been denied. Hence we are left with no other option but to move the Calcutta High Court seeking permission,” the association office bearer said.

Last Friday, the special court in Kolkata granted “default bail” to the former and controversial principal of R. G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal, following CBI’s failure to file a charge sheet against them within the 90 days of their arrests.

Both Ghosh and Mondal were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with evidence while the initial investigation was being carried out by Kolkata Police.

The CBI so far has filed only one charge sheet in the matter where civic volunteer Sanjay Roy has been identified as the “sole prime” accused in the rape and murder case.

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