New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has sought more time from the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it as she is still suffering from Covid, party sources said on Tuesday. They said Gandhi, who tested positive on Thursday, is yet to recover and her latest report is not Covid-negative.The ED had summoned Gandhi to appear before it on June 8 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the&nbsp;National Herald&nbsp;newspaper-AJL issue.The ED had also summoned her son and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on June 13 for questioning in the case. He was earlier asked by the agency to depose on June 2 but the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad constituency in Kerala sought a fresh date as he was out of the country. The federal agency later asked Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on June 13 at its headquarters in central Delhi. Congress leaders had earlier claimed that Sonia Gandhi is determined to appear before the ED provided she recovered from the virus.The case pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the&nbsp;National Herald&nbsp;newspaper. The paper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.Officials said the agency wants to record the statements of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of the ED's investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials had said.Members of the first family of the Congress party, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.The probe agency had registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court in New Delhi took cognisance of an income tax department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Subramanian Swamy in 2013.Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd by paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover the Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress. The ED summons triggered furious reactions from the Congress, which alleged that the "fake issue of AJL (Associated Journals Limited) is an attempt by BJP's propaganda machinery to deviate, divert and digress the attention of citizens from the multifarious vital issues of inflation, falling GDP and social unrest, social divisiveness in this country".—PTI

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has sought more time from the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it as she is still suffering from Covid, party sources said on Tuesday.

Still down with Covid, Sonia seeks more time for ED's questioning

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday joined the probe of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case. She reached the ED's headquarters at around 12.10 p.m. and was being questioned by a team of Additional Director Monika Sharma. Sonia Gandhi wrote her name and signed the ED's register. She reached the ED headquarters accompanied by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. A few minutes later Rahul Gandhi left the ED office while Priyanka remained at the headquarters and had a medicine box for her mother. Priyanka had requested to be present at the ED headquarters during the questioning of her mother. The ED allowed the move, but said that she will have to be in a different room. Sources have suggested that Sonia Gandhi will be asked the same set of questions which were asked to Rahul Gandhi during his five-day questioning. Her questioning, which was scheduled to take place on June 23, was postponed on her request as she was not keeping well. "We have to ask about her role in the deal between Young India and Associated Journal Ltd (AJL)," the sources said.—IANS

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday joined the probe of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case. She reached the ED's headquarters at around 12.10 p.m. and was being questioned by a team of Additional Director Monika Sharma. Sonia Gandhi wrote her name and signed the ED's register.

 National Herald case: Sonia at ED office, questioning underway

New Delhi: The petitioners seeking legal validation of same-sex marriage on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to use its plenary power, “prestige and moral authority” to push the society to acknowledge such a union which would ensure LGBTQIA persons lead a “dignified” life like heterosexuals.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was told by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the petitioners, that “the State should come forward and provide recognition to same-sex marriage.” He referred to the law on widow re-marriage, and said the society did accept it then and the “law acted with alacrity” and the social acceptance followed.

“Here, this court needs to push the society to acknowledge the same-sex marriage. This court, besides the power under Article 142 (which provides SC the plenary power to pass any order necessary for doing complete justice) of the Constitution, has moral authority and it enjoys public confidence. We rely on the prestige and moral authority of this court to ensure that we get our right,” Rohagti told the bench which also comprised Justices S K Kaul, S R Bhat, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha.

He said, “the State should come forward and provide recognition to same-sex marriage... which will help us leading a dignified life like heterosexuals.” At the outset of second day’s proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, filed a fresh plea urging the top court that all the states and UTs be also made parties to the proceedings on the pleas.

In a fresh affidavit filed in the apex court, the Centre said it has issued a letter on April 18 to all the states inviting comments and views on the "seminal issue" raised in the pleas.

“It is, therefore, humbly requested that all states and Union Territories be made a party to the present proceedings and their respective stance be taken on record and in the alternative, allow the Union of India, to finish the consultative process with the states, obtains their views/apprehensions, compile the same and place it on record before this court, and only thereafter adjudicate on the present issue," the affidavit said.

"It is submitted that the Union of India, has issued a letter dated April 18, 2023 to all states inviting comments and views on the seminal issue raised in the present batch of petition," it said.

Opposing the fresh plea of the government, Rohatgi said the pleas challenged the Central law, the Special Marriage Act, and just because the subject is there in the concurrent list of the Constitution, states and UTs need not be issued the notices.

“You do not have to labour on this point,” the CJI said.

Coming back to the submissions, Rohatgi referred to the judgements, including the decriminalisation of consensual gay sex, and said “The court was revisiting something which has already been decided”.

“I am equal to heterosexual groups and it cannot be so that their sexual orientation is correct and all others are incorrect. I am saying let there be a positive affirmation...We should not be treated as lesser mortals and there will be full enjoyment of the right to life,” he said.

The hearing is continuing.

The top court on Tuesday made it clear that it will not go into personal laws governing marriages while deciding the pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriages and said the very notion of a man and a woman, as referred to in the Special Marriage Act, is not "an absolute based on genitals". The outcome will have significant ramifications for the country where common people and political parties hold divergent views on the subject.

The apex court had on November 25 last year sought the Centre's response to separate pleas moved by two gay couples seeking enforcement of their right to marry and a direction to the authorities concerned to register their marriages under the Special Marriage Act.

LGBTQIA stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual. - PTI

SC advised to use moral authority and plenary power to support same-sex marriages

SC urged to use plenary power, moral authority to ensure acceptance of same-sex marriages

Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has again summoned BRS MLC K. Kavitha for questioning in the Delhi Excise Policy case.
The central agency has issued a notice, asking her to appear before it in the national capital on Friday.
But it was not immediately clear ifKavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, will appear on or seek more time.
The questioning this time assumes significance as it comes after four accused have turned approvers in the case.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghava Reddy, former Aurobindo Group Director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s close aide Dinesh Arora have turned approvers in the case.
Kavitha was earlier questioned by the ED on March 11, 20 and 21.
She was first summoned on March 9.
But the BRS MLC requested the ED to defer her questioning citing a day-long hunger strike announced on March 10 in the national capital over the delay in passing the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.
The ED had issued fresh summons asking her to appear on March 11. On that day, she was grilled for nine hours.
The agency again issued summons to Kavitha to appear on March 16, but she skipped the hearing citing her pending petition in Supreme Court against the ED summons till March 24.
The same day, ED issued fresh summons to Kavitha asking her to appear before them on March 20.
The ED quizzed her for over 10 hours on March 20.
The agency asked her to appear again on March 21. She was again questioned for 10 hours that day.
—IANS

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has again summoned BRS MLC K. Kavitha for questioning in the Delhi Excise Policy case.

ED summons BRS leader K. Kavitha in Delhi Excise Policy case

New Delhi [India]: As Delhi police raided different premises linked to NewsClick on Tuesday, sources informed that the special cell of the Delhi police held a late-night meeting on Tuesday. The investigation, which is still underway was launched on the basis of information from central agencies. Sources also said that an FIR was filed at the New Delhi Range of Delhi Police special cell against NewsClick.
As part of the investigation, editor of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in the national capital today. Sources said that the first meeting before launching the crackdown was held by the top officials of the special cell on Monday (October 2). The meeting was attended by over 200 police personnel at 2 am at the special cell office in Lodhi colony. Apart from Senior Officials, the mobile handset of Junior officials were kept at the station, to hide any leaked information. The special team carried out raids at more than 30 locations, sources said, adding that suspects were marked in the A, B, and C categories. Meanwhile, in Mumbai, teams of the Delhi police special cell &amp; Mumbai police conducted searches at the residence of activist Teesta Setalvad. The raids are being conducted on a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, which include UAPA, 153A of IPC (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy). The raid team on Tuesday morning also reached at Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's residence to question his staffer Sri Narayan's son Sunmit Kumar. The raid team seized the mobile, laptop, and hard drive of Sunmit Kumar, who works at NewsClick, sources said. Earlier on August 10 a report in the New York Times had alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network that receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham. Singham is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes, is at the centre of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda. Neville Roy Singham is said to have close ties to the Chinese government media machine.
—ANI

As Delhi police raided different premises linked to NewsClick on Tuesday, sources informed that the special cell of the Delhi police held a late-night meeting

Raids on NewsClick: Delhi police held mid-night meet before raiding 30 locations, sources

Seoul: The head of the district police force that investigated South Korean actor Lee Sun-Kyun over allegations of illegal drug use on Thursday defended the tough questioning of him before he was found dead.
Incheon Metropolitan Police Chief Kim Hui-Jung told a news briefing the entire process was justified and done with Lee's consent.  He expressed "deep regret" over his death and offered his condolences to his family.  Lee, 48, who played the wealthy patriarch in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, died on Wednesday.  His death brought an outpouring of sympathy from the film industry and the public alike as well as questions over the apparently harsh and public nature of the probe that fuelled media coverage delving into Lee's private life.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/china's-military-lashes-out-at-us-after-breakthrough-talks" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/china's-military-lashes-out-at-us-after-breakthrough-talks</a>&nbsp;
Kim said the questioning over Lee's three appearances, including a final one that went on all night, was necessary to hear his side and was done in the presence of his lawyer.  "The investigation of the deceased was conducted based on specific reports, testimony and evidence and under legally prescribed procedures," he said.  Lee had denied he knowingly took illegal drugs and said he was tricked into doing so by a bar hostess who was trying to blackmail him, local news media reported before his death.  He made three highly public appearances before police since October, the last time for 19 hours overnight, leaving the police station on Christmas Eve.  He declined to answer questions from reporters about the charges against him but said he was fully cooperating with the investigation.  He was found dead in a car at a park in Seoul after being reported missing.  Former South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who was a human rights lawyer before entering politics, was among those who criticised police practice and sensational media reporting of the case.  "The practice that does huge damage to someone's honour and character, such as excessively putting them at a media photoline, and pushes them to take the extreme choice must now end," Moon said on Facebook.  Film industry colleagues visited the memorial set up at Lee's wake, including Parasite Director Bong Joon-Ho and the Netflix hit series Squid Game actor Lee Jung-Jae.  Incheon police had earlier questioned K-pop star G-Dragon over suspicion of illegal drug use but dropped the case without charging him.  The probe comes as part of a crackdown by the government of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who called it a "war on drugs".  There has been a string of high-profile arrests, including business conglomerate heirs and celebrities, under the country's tough drug laws, which punishes those found guilty of abusing drugs as well as drug dealing by up to 14 years in prison.
—Reuters

The head of the district police force that investigated South Korean actor Lee Sun-Kyun over allegations of illegal drug use on Thursday

South Korea police defend probe of deceased 'Parasite' actor Lee

Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand Dhiraj Prasad Sahu for questioning in a money laundering case in which the central agency arrested former chief minister Hemant Soren, official sources said Thursday.
Sahu, 64, was in the news after the Income-tax department in December recovered Rs 351.8 crore cash, an all-time high seizure, during raids against Odisha-based Boudh Distillery Pvt. Ltd. (BDPL), promoted by the family of the Congress legislator.  Sources said the ED wants to question and record Sahu's statement in connection with his purported links with Soren and a BMW SUV that was seized by the agency from the JMM leader's house in Delhi sometime back.
The agency raided a premise in Kardarpur village in Gurugram on Wednesday on whose address this Haryana number plate bearing SUV was registered, the sources said. Two locations in Kolkata were also searched in the same case on Wednesday.  The ED suspects this vehicle to be allegedly linked to Sahu through some 'benami' way.  The 48-year-old Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31 on money laundering charges linked to an alleged illegal land acquisition and possession case.  Soren resigned as the Jharkhand CM before he was formally arrested that day. He is in the ED custody at present.
—PTI

Enforcement Directorate summons Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu in a money laundering case linked to Hemant Soren's arrest.

Hemant Soren money laundering probe: ED summons Congress MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu

Siddhipet (Telangana): Bharat Rastra Samiti (BRS) leaders on Thursday staged protests in several parts of Telangana over the arrest of party legislator K Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. The leaders held a protest at Siddhipet's old bus stand. However, police detained the protestors.
Local BRS MLAs Rajashekar Reddy and Laxma Reddy held a protest in Hyderabad at Uppal Radhika X Roads and Malkajgiri X Roads with their followers.
BRS leaders were heard chanting the slogan "ED Modi ek hai". Police on the spot detained them and shifted them to local police station. Meanwhile, K Kavitha who was arrested from her residence in Bajara Hills Hyderabad on Friday was produced before Rouse Avenue Court in the national capital on Saturday. The MLC and the daughter of BRS founder and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was arrested after a day-long questioning followed by a raid at her Hyderabad residence on Friday.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/enforcement-directorate-arrests-brs-leader-k-kavitha-in-delhi-excise-policy-case" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/enforcement-directorate-arrests-brs-leader-k-kavitha-in-delhi-excise-policy-case</a>&nbsp;
Appearing before Rouse Avenue Court, Kavitha told reporters that "it is an illegal arrest" The action comes almost two months after the ED issued a summons to the 45-year-old BRS leader. She was questioned thrice in this case last year, with the central agency recording her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In the arrest order, the ED investigation officer said, "I believe that Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha w/o Mr. D R Anil Kumar, residing at H. No. 8-2316/S/H, Road No 14, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telengana-500034 has been guilty of an offence punishable under the provision of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2003)." "Now, therefore, in exercise of the power conferred upon me under sub section (1) of section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (915 of 2003), I hereby arrest the said Smt. Kalvakuntla Kavitha at 05.20 pm on 15.03.2024 and she has been informed of grounds for arrest. A copy of the grounds of arrest (containing 14 pages) have been served upon her," the officer added.
—ANI

BRS leaders in Telangana protest against MLA K Kavitha's arrest by Enforcement Directorate in money laundering case, with police detaining several in Hyderabad.

BRS leaders stage protests in Telangana over arrest of K Kavitha

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to TMC leader Mahua Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case on March 28, official sources said on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old Trinamool Congress leader was called for questioning twice earlier by the central agency but she did not depose citing official work and sought deferment of the notice.  Moitra and Hiranandani have been asked to appear for questioning at the ED office here on Thursday, the sources said.  Hiranandani was also summoned by the agency in a separate FEMA case against his Mumbai-based realty group. Earlier, his father Niranjan Hiranandani had deposed before the ED in Mumbai.
In the current case, the sources said, an advocate allegedly linked to Moitra was examined by the ED on Wednesday at its office here.  Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December for "unethical conduct", has been renominated by her party from West Bengal's Krishnanagar seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided her premises in connection with the cash-for-query case on Saturday, days after anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal directed the federal agency to investigate the allegations levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.  Dubey, a Lok Sabha member, has alleged that Moitra asked questions in the House in exchange for cash and gifts from Hiranandani to mount an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.  Transactions linked to a non-resident external (NRE) account are under the ED's scanner, apart from a few other foreign remittances and fund transfers, the sources said.  Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and claims that she is being targeted as she raised questions about deals of the Adani Group.
—PTI

ED issues fresh summons to TMC's Mahua Moitra & Darshan Hiranandani in FEMA case, raising political and legal eyebrows ahead of polls.

FEMA case: ED summons TMC MP Mahua Moitra, businessman Darshan Hiranandani on Thursday

Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued summons to three Trinamool Congress leaders asking them to appear before its officers for questioning in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast case, an official said on Monday.
The three leaders -- Manab Kumar Karaya, Subir Maity and Naba Kumar Ponda -- have been asked to appear before NIA officers here on Monday, he said.  "Three TMC leaders have been summoned to our city office for questioning on Monday morning," the officer told PTI.
The trio had skipped appearing before NIA officers when summoned for questioning last week.  The two arrested TMC leaders were 'not cooperating' with our officers, the NIA officer said.  A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case in Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers.
The NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack that happened in Bhupatinagar.  The attack on the NIA team happened around three months after villagers and locals assaulted a team of Enforcement Department (ED) officers when they went to raid the residence of, now arrested, TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh on January 5 in connection with the alleged ration scam.
—PTI

NIA's probe into the Bhupatinagar blast intensifies as TMC leaders are summoned amid a climate of political strife and recent assaults on enforcement teams in Bengal.

Bhupatinagar blast case: NIA issues summons to 3 TMC leaders

New Delhi: Bibhav Kumar, personal assistant (PA) to jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has been terminated from his services. An action in this regard has been taken up by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) in connection with a case pending against him for 'obstruction'. Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajshekhar passed the order, citing a case of 2007 pending against Bibhav Kumar in which he was accused of obstructing government work.
"The Competent Authority hereby terminates the engagement of Bibhav Kumar, in terms of the provisions of Rule 5 of the Central Civil Services (Temporary Service) Rules, 1965, with immediate effect," the order said. The order stated that the charges against Bibhav Kumar are grave in nature, including charge of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty. "It is observed that charges against Bibhav Kumar are grave in nature, including charge of 'assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty' (section 353 IPC), for which the trial against Bibhav Kumar is at the stage of evidence, and therefore Bibhav Kumar is not clear from vigilance angle," it said.
"Any serious lapse in the verification procedure could result in appointment of persons in the personal staff of Ministers, MP and other government bodies, who are otherwise not eligible to man the post. This is fraught with dangers because such persons could also have access to sensitive information and data," the order added. The action comes two days after the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) questioned Bibhav Kumar, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Durgesh Pathak in a money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case. ED investigators started questioning Bibhav on Monday soon after he deposed before them in the morning, while Pathak's questioning began when he reached the agency office in the afternoon following summons issued against them separately. Earlier in February, the ED also questioned Bibhav and recorded his statements in connection with the case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The move comes days after the federal agency arrested Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the case.
—ANI

Bibhav Kumar, PA to jailed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, terminated over 2007 obstruction case. Action follows ED's probe into AAP's excise policy irregularities.

The Hawk

Tag : Questioning

Still down with Covid, Sonia seeks more time for ED's questioning

Preeti

Tag : Questioning

Still down with Covid, Sonia seeks more time for ED's questioning

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More about Questioning