The ED’s investigation was triggered by FIRs registered by multiple agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Lucknow, Kolkata Police, and the Uttar Pradesh Police…reports Asian Lite News
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Delhi Zonal Office has provisionally attached an amount of Rs 10.29 Crore belonging to the All-India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party.
According to a press release, the funds were in the form of a Demand Draft tendered by AITC during the investigation into allegations of money laundering by the Alchemist Group and others.
The Alchemist Group, notably headed by Kanwar Deep Singh, an Ex-Member of Rajya Sabha from AITC, is allegedly at the centre of the investigation.
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The ED’s investigation was triggered by FIRs registered by multiple agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Lucknow, Kolkata Police, and the Uttar Pradesh Police.
These FIRs implicated various individuals and group companies associated with the Alchemist Group under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.
According to ED findings, M/s Alchemist Group allegedly amassed funds exceeding Rs 1800 Crore from investors and victims through its companies, primarily M/s Alchemist Holdings Limited and M/s Alchemist Township India Limited.
The funds were obtained under false pretenses of providing high returns and offering properties such as flats, villas, and plots, or high-interest rates on investments.
However, the investors were never refunded their money, and the funds were illicitly diverted to various group companies of the Alchemist Group.
Further investigation by the ED revealed that a portion of the fraudulently obtained funds was utilized by the Alchemist Group to make payments to aviation companies on behalf of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party.
Specifically, an amount of Rs 10.29 Crore was paid by Alchemist Airways Pvt Ltd to various aviation and helicopter companies for services availed by the AITC during the campaigning for the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.
These services were reportedly utilized by star campaigners of AITC, including Ms. Mamta Banerjee, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mukul Roy, the Ex-Union Railway Minister, and MPs such as Munmun Sen and Nusrat Jahan.
While the provisional attachment marks a significant step in the investigation, the ED has reiterated that further inquiries are underway. (ANI)
ED creating terror amongst the opposition, says Pawar
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday alleged that the BJP-led government is misusing agencies like Enforcement Directorate to create fear among the opposition and called ED the “supporting party” of BJP.
Speaking to the reporters in Pune Pawar cited figures of ED actions between 2005 and 2023 and mentioned that of 5906 cases registered by ED, only 25 cases have been disposed off.
“0.42 per cent is the disposal rate and the conviction rate is just .40 per cent. The ED’s budget has risen up from 300 crores in 2022 to Rs 404 crore. During this period of between 2005 and 2023, two governments were in power which includes UPA which we were also part of and during UPA’s regime, ED investigated 26 leaders of which 5 were from Congress and 3 were from BJP. It shows that during the UPA regime, ED’s action was not politically motivated but after 2014, not a single BJP leader has been questioned,” Pawar said.
“In Karnataka one of the senior member of the party was arrested and a case was done against him …later he decided to take that case in the court ….now we are getting information that …he was proved not guilty ..this prove that how Ed is being misused” Pawar said.
He added that all these figures raise doubt as to if ED’s action under BJP was politically motivated.
“It indicates that ED has become a supporting party of BJP. BJP leaders know about the ED’s actions in advance looks like these orders come from BJP,” he said.
“During the dispensation of Manmohan Singh, ED was not misused but now the agency is being used to create fear among the opposition leaders,” he said.
Earlier, Rohit Pawar the grandson of Appasaheb and, the elder brother of NCP founder Sharad Pawar has come under scanner…in a statement, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it has provisionally attached properties worth Rs 50.2 crore under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of the Kannad Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (Kannad SSK sugar mill) belonging to the Baramati Agro Ltd. The action is connected with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case.
The Baramati Agro Ltd is owned by NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew MLA Rohit Pawar. It has been alleged that the MSCB illegally sold sugar factories to M/s Baramati Agro Ltd. (ANI)
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