CBI arrests former NSE CEO Chitra Ramkrishna in co-location case

 She will be presented before a Delhi court on Monday morning

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday night arrested former managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of National Stock Exchange Chitra Ramkrishna in Delhi in the co-location case after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a Special CBI court on Saturday.

“She will be presented before a Delhi court on Monday morning,” a CBI official said under condition of anonymity. CBI had arrested former group operating officer of NSE Anand Subramanian last week. CBI may also seek extension of Subramanian’s custody on Monday whose 10-day custody ended on Sunday.

The arrests were made in the case related to the co-location scam, the FIR for which was registered in May 2018, amid fresh revelations about irregularities at the country’s largest stock exchange. The CBI had last month questioned Ramkrishna, Subramanian and Ravi Narain, also former CEO of the NSE. A report of the Securities and Exchange Board of India last month showed that Ramkrishna took key decisions at the NSE from 2013 to 2016 on the advice of a “Himalayan yogi”, whom she had never met and who instructed her to appoint Subramanian group operating officer…Read More

Sushant Singh Rajput case: CBI’s record doesn’t inspire confidence in probe

The CBI has had a poor record of closure in high profile investigations in the past

Whenever there is a need for an impartial probe, be it criminal or corruption, there are demands to hand it over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This is because not just people and the government, even the judiciary fear that state investigative agencies may work in the interest of politicians or could botch-up cases due to sheer incompetence. A similar demand was recently made in Sushant Singh Rajput’s (SSR) death case.Investigations by CBI, a central agency, which is supposedly free from interference of states and their politicians, are expected to be fair, fast and thorough. That is why the Supreme Court ordered the agency to probe Sushant Singh Rajput‘s death case.

However, question remains whether the agency has lived up to expectations. According to data, at least 65 per cent of the cases which have been probed by the federal agency between 2015 and 2018 are still awaiting closure. And in cases where the prosecution complaints (popularly known as chargesheets) were filed, questions were raised about the credibility of the accusations.The INX Media case involving former Finance Minister P Chidambaram was the latest such case. Arrested on August 21, 2019, the former FM had spent more than two months in judicial custody and was granted bail by the Supreme Court in December 2019. The chargesheet produced in the matter was said to have done more harm than good.

ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput’s case politicised to malign Mumbai Police: Shiv Sena

It accused Chidamabaram and his son Karti of having received a payment of Rs 9.96 lakh as a bribe in 2008, in an exchange for a favour to INX Media, founded by Peter Mukherjea and Indrani Mukherjea. This was in contrast to the original accusations made by the CBI in its first information report (FIR) in the case where it alleged that as FM, Chidambaram had received Rs 305 crore in 2007.

YES Bank case: ED summons Anil Ambani, Subhash Chandra and Naresh Goyal

The agency also calls Subhash Chandra, Naresh Goyal, Kapil Wadhawan, and Peter Kerkar in money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to a clutch of borrowers of YES Bank, including Essel group Chairman Subhash Chandra, Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, Cox & Kings promoter Peter Kerkar, Dewan Housing Finance promoter Kapil Wadhawan, and a few more in connection with the money laundering probe against YES Bank co-founder Rana Kapoor. Besides, the federal agency has issued fresh summons to Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani asking him to appear on Thursday.

Ambani was summoned on Monday for questioning related to the stressed loans that were sanctioned to ADAG group during Kapoor’s tenure. But he has filed adjournment application with the ED seeking more time. An ED official said it was examining all the big borrowers of YES Bank and that is why each of the borrower had been asked to join the probe this week. Sources said ED wanted to deep dive into all the accounts which had defaulted and the loans had turned into bad debts. The agency will record the statement of the management and promoters of all the stressed firms and will make it part of the prosecution complaint, the source said.

Other than the bad debt accounts, the probe agency is verifying the rationale behind Kapoor keeping some of his realty assets on mortgage with some housing finance firms. “These properties that were kept on mortgage were actually the illegal gratification, which Kapoor has received on advancing loans to entities without due diligence and were not in line with the Banking Regulation Act,” an ED official said…

BJP says CBI has proof against Kolkata police chief, to address press today

CBI interim director M Nageshwar Rao has said that the CBI will approach the Supreme Court on Monday accusing the Bengal government of impeding the investigation of a court-ordered probe into the chit

Politics News: The Bharatiya Janata Party will address a press conference on Tuesday over the ongoing tussle between the Central Bureau of Investigation and state Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, said Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Babul Supriyo.

Speaking to ANI, Babul said, “Rajiv has earlier headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the CBI has the proof that he had tampered electronic and paper evidence in the chit fund scam. All papers state that Rajeev has been absconding and not cooperating with the CBI. The CBI has a right to conduct surprise raids because warrant may breach secrecy,” he added.

Also Read: Rishi Kumar Shukla takes charge as CBI director amid Bengal drama

The Union Minister earlier took the Twitter and wrote, “The desperation & fear of the TMC & Mamata Banerjee are clearly visible in this decision. The state govt is trying 2 block every programme of BJP, be it a rally, yatra or the landing of Yogi Adityanath Ji’s chopper. This shows the undemocratic attitude of the government.”

A full-blown face-off between West Bengal government and the Centre erupted as a CBI team moved to arrest Kumar, which in turn were unceremoniously denied entry to Kolkata Police chief’s residence and then detained. Escalating her confrontation with the Centre, Banerjee started a sit-in on Sunday night to protest, in what her Trinamool Congress party called a “coup” by the Modi government. Extending support to Mamata, her party workers also staged a ‘rail roko protest’ in Rishra and Asansol over the ongoing issue. The TMC workers have also burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Asansol…

Click Here: Mamata vs CBI

CBI officer probing Akhilesh Yadav in illegal mining case transferred

Shuffling of senior officers at CBI continues after committee led by Prime Minister Modi removed agency chief.

Latest news: CBI officer Gagandeep Gambhir, who was supervising the investigation into the alleged role of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in an illegal mining case, has been transferred in the latest reshuffle at the agency, said sources Monday.

Gambhir, a deputy inspector general, has been shifted to a unit probing the Srijan scam and the case against journalist Upendra Rai. She will also have the additional charge of DIG in Special Investigation Team headed by Joint Director Sai Manohar, sources said.

The Special Investigation Team, which was earlier headed by Rakesh Asthana, is probing important cases like that of Vijay Mallya and Agusta Westland. It is also probing some coal scam related cases, among others.

The new transfers were made by M Nageswara Rao, who was made the interim chief of the CBI after a high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A K Sikri and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge transferred Alok Verma out of the agency in a split verdict Thursday.

The probe in the Uttar Pradesh illegal mining case will now be supervised by DIG Anish Prasad, who was earlier Deputy Director (Personnel and Admin). The case is being probed by Special Crime III unit, according to the sources.

Source By Business Standard or BS

Sohrabuddin encounter case: Court acquits all 22 accused, including 21 cops

Special CBI Judge S J Sharma ruled the prosecution has failed to put forth any ‘documentary and substantive evidence’ to suggest or establish the alleged conspiracy.

Business Standard: A special CBI court here Friday acquitted 22 persons accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his associate Tulsi Prajapati.

Special CBI Judge S J Sharma ruled the prosecution has failed to put forth any “documentary and substantive evidence” to suggest or establish (BS) the alleged conspiracy. Of the accused, 21 are junior-level police officials from Gujarat and Rajasthan. The other was the owner of a farm house in Gujarat where Shaikh and Kausar Bi were illegally detained before they were allegedly killed.

The CBI said Sohrabuddin Shaikh, an alleged gangster, Kausar Bi and Prajapati were abducted by the Gujarat police from a bus when they were going to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad on the night of November 22-23, 2005. Shaikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter on November 26, 2005 near Ahmedabad, while his wife was killed three days later and her body disposed of, the CBI had said.

1984 riots case: Delhi HC sentences Cong leader Sajjan Kumar to life term

The judgment was pronounced on the appeal challenging the Congress leader’s acquittal

Latest News: The Delhi High Court on Monday convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The court asked Kumar to surrender before December 31 and imposed a fine of Rs 500,000 on him.Today’s verdict reversed the 2013 trial court judgment which had acquitted Sajjan Kumar. While pronouncing the judgment the judge observed, “In the, summer of 1947, during partition several people were massacred. 37 years later Delhi was the witness of a similar tragedy. They accused enjoyed political patronage and escaped trial.”

The judgment was pronounced on the appeal challenging the Congress leader’s acquittal. On October 29 the Delhi High Court had reserved the order in the case after the culmination of arguments. “We welcome the judgement, however we hoped for a death sentence for Sajjan Kumar,” said BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa…

Click Here: Business Standard OR BS

Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes: SC calls case details ‘horrible’, ‘scary’

 Latest News|The Supreme Court on Thursday termed as “horrible” and “scary” details placed before it about the investigation into the case of Muzzafarpur shelter home where several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur perused the status report filed by the CBI and said “what is this going on? This is horrible”.| Business Standard 

The apex court also took note of allegations referred by the CBI against shelter home owner Brajesh Thakur and issued notice to him to explain why he should not be transferred to a jail outside the state.| BS

The CBI in its report had alleged that Thakur is an influential person and a mobile phone was recovered from him inside the jail where he is currently lodged under judicial custody. The bench also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta noted that Thakur is an influential person.

CBI questions P Chidambaram in INX Media case: A timeline of events

Delhi HC has granted Chidambaram interim protection from arrest until July 3 in the case

 

 

On May 15 last year, the CBI had registered an FIR for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007, when Chidambaram was the finance minister during the first term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Here is a detailed timeline of the INX media case:

May 15, 2017: CBI files FIR alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when Karti's father was the Union Finance minister.

June 16, 2017: The Foreigner Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) and the Bureau of Immigration, under the Union Home Ministry, issues look out circular (LOC) against Karti.

August 10, 2017: Madras HC stays the LOCs issued against Karti and four others.

August 14, 2017: Supreme Court (SC) stays Madras HC order staying Centre's LOC issued against Karti.

August 18, 2017: SC asks Karti to appear before the CBI on August 23.

September 22, 2017: CBI tells SC that Karti was prevented from travelling abroad as he was allegedly closing several of his foreign bank accounts.

December 8, 2017: Karti moves SC challenging summons issued by the CBI in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

January 31, 2018: SC remands back to Madras HC the pleas relating to issuance of LOCs against Karti and others.

February 16, 2018: Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman arrested for allegedly assisting him to manage his "ill-gotten wealth" in India and abroad.

February 28, 2018: Karti is arrested by the CBI at the Chennai airport and brought to Delhi. Delhi court sends him to one-day police custody.

March 1, 2018: Karti sent to five-day CBI custody.

March 5, 2018: Karti challenges in the SC the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case.

March 6, 2018: Special court remands him to three-day CBI custody. His plea for bail in CBI case adjourned to March 9.

March 9, 2018: Special court sends him to three more days of police custody in the CBI case.

March 12, 2018: Special court sends Karti to 12-day judicial custody till March 24. Declines his plea for early hearing of his bail plea. Subsequently, on the same day, he moves Delhi HC seeking bail in the corruption case.

March 13, 2018: Delhi HC seeks the CBI's response on his bail plea. Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman granted bail in the corruption case by special court.

March 15, 2018: SC gives interim protection to Karti from arrest by the ED in connection with the case until March 26.

March 16, 2018: Delhi HC reserves order on Karti's bail plea in INX Media corruption case.

March 23, 2018: Delhi HC grants bail to Karti in the INX Media corruption case.

March 26, 2018: A Delhi court sends former media baron Peter Mukerjea to CBI custody until March 31 in the INX Media case.

March 26, 2018: SC extends the interim protection of Karti in connection to the INX media money laundering case until April 2.

March 31, 2018: Peter Mukerjea is sent to judicial custody by a Delhi court until April 13 in connection with the INX Media case.

May 31, 2018: Delhi HC grants P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest until July 3 in CBI's INX Media corruption case.

Read More : Chidambaram

Full text: Govt using CBI to target my son, alleges Chidambaram post raids

Chidambaram alleged that the Modi govt was trying to muzzle his voice

Former Union minister P Chidambaram said that Tuesday’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids at his and his son, Karti Chidambaram’s, residences were an attempt by the Modi government to muzzle his voice.

While no official word has come from the CBI, sources have said that the raids were conducted in connection with the Aircel-Maxis probe, where Chidambaram’s role as then finance minister in granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to the deal has been called into question. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also searched Chidambaram’s house.

In his official statement regarding the Tuesday morning raids, Chidambaram said that the Modi government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. The Congress leader alleged that the government was trying to silence his voice and stop him from writing against its policies and actions.

“FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases,” the statement said, adding, “Every case was processed according to law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIPB consisting of five secretaries to the Government of India.”

Below is the full text of his official statement:
FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases. The five Secretaries who constitute the FIPB, the officials of the FIPB Secretariat and the competent authority in each case are the public officials. There is no allegation against any of them. There is no allegation against me.

Every case was processed according to law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIBP consisting of five Secretaries to the Government of India.

The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government’s aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of Opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write. |READMORE…

ALSO READ : CBI Raids Congress Leader P Chidambaram’s House In Chennai

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