Yesterday, a Delhi court called the Special Director of Enforcement Directorate to appear in person after a counsel for the probe agency behaved offensively and disrespectfully towards the judge during a hearing for a money laundering case involving Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. The judge felt that the agency's behavior was a threat to the court's dignity and issued a directive for appropriate action to be taken. This comes after an application was filed by an accused seeking the release of confiscated evidence. The ED, on the other hand, requested a 15-day adjournment leading the judge to record in the order about "higher-ups" exerting influence.
Enforcement Directorate Under Fire for Offensive Behavior in Money Laundering Case
Background
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is an Indian law enforcement agency responsible for investigating economic crimes, including money laundering, foreign exchange violations, and terrorist financing. In recent years, the ED has been at the forefront of the government's crackdown on corruption and black money.
Current Case
On August 12, 2023, a Delhi court summoned the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate to appear in person after an agency counsel displayed disrespectful behavior towards the judge during a hearing for a money laundering case involving Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
According to the court order, the ED counsel interrupted the judge repeatedly, spoke in a loud and argumentative manner, and made baseless allegations. The judge found the agency's conduct to be a "threat to the dignity of the court" and issued a directive for appropriate action to be taken.
The incident came to light after an accused in the case filed an application seeking the release of confiscated evidence. The ED requested a 15-day adjournment, leading the judge to note in the order about "higher-ups" exerting influence.
ED's Response
The Enforcement Directorate has expressed regret over the incident and assured the court that it will take appropriate disciplinary action against the counsel involved. The agency has also promised to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Top 5 FAQs
Q1: What is money laundering? A1: Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of illegally obtained money, typically through complex financial transactions.
Q2: What are the ED's powers? A2: The ED is empowered to investigate economic crimes, freeze assets, search premises, and arrest suspects.
Q3: What is the current controversy involving the ED? A3: The ED is under fire for the disrespectful behavior of its counsel in a Delhi court case involving Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Q4: What action has the court taken? A4: The Delhi court has summoned the Special Director of the ED to appear in person and has issued a directive for appropriate action to be taken.
Q5: What is the significance of the "higher-ups" comment? A5: The judge's observation about "higher-ups" exerting influence has raised concerns about political interference in the ED's investigations.
Prominent Haryana politician Captain Ajay Singh Yadav has resigned from the Congress party, expressing discontent with the leadership after Sonia Gandhi stepped down as party president. Yadav, who comes from a family with a long history of association with Congress, announced his decision on social media and stated that he will share his experiences of being mistreated by certain leaders in the party. His resignation comes as the third prominent exit from the party in Haryana over the past two years.
After the Kerala HC issued a directive to launch a Crime Branch investigation against Fisheries, Culture, and Youth Affairs Minister Saji Cherian, the CPM party has decided that Cherian does not need to resign. The party's state secretariat meeting concluded that Cherian had already resigned in 2022 on ethical grounds related to the case at hand. The CPM will also seek further legal counsel and stands by the court's decision to entrust the investigation to the state police rather than the CBI.
History was created at Delhi University as NSUI candidate Rounak Khatri was elected as the President of DUSU, breaking ABVP's 7-year winning streak. In a close race, NSUI also secured the post of Joint Secretary, while ABVP took the other two positions. NSUI's National President Varun Choudhary expressed gratitude to the students for their support and proclaimed that "mohabbat ki dukaan," or the store of love, has now opened at Delhi University.
After facing a delay due to a court order, the results of Delhi University's Student Union (DUSU) elections have finally been announced. In a close competition between the two major parties, NSUI has emerged victorious in the President and Joint Secretary positions, while ABVP has managed to secure Vice President and Secretary positions. This marks a revival of NSUI's presence in the influential student body after seven years, signaling a possible shift in the political landscape of DU.
As India celebrates the 75th anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution on November 26, top leaders including President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will address the nation at a special event. The Prime Minister will not be addressing the event, instead a commemorative coin and stamp will be released. However, the Opposition has raised objections over their leader Rahul Gandhi not being invited to speak at the event. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has dismissed these claims, stating that arrangements have been made for the Leader of Opposition in both houses of parliament to be present on the dias.
The race for the 2024 Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections has reached its final round, with both the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) vying for key positions. After fifteen rounds of vote counting, ABVP has secured the Vice President and Secretary positions, while NSUI has grabbed the President and Joint Secretary positions. Stay tuned for live updates and in-depth analysis on indiatvnews.com.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar each paid their respects to Maharashtra's first Chief Minister, Y B Chavan, on the anniversary of his passing. The two leaders' separate tributes at the Pritisangam memorial highlight the ongoing divisions within the party.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board, which oversees the operations of the famous Tirumala temple, has passed a resolution to ban any political statements on its premises. This decision is part of the board's efforts to improve operations and services at the temple. Along with the ban on political statements, the board has also announced other key decisions to enhance services for devotees.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the city government will be providing pension to over 80,000 new pensioners, and a total of 8,50,000 elderly citizens in the national capital. Kejriwal also highlighted the disparity in pension amounts given by the central and state governments, saying that a single engine government in Delhi provides higher pensions compared to a double engine government. He also mentioned that the pension for retired employees was stopped during his time in jail but has now been reinstated.
A Delhi Court issued notice to the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the agency's counsel gave an "offensive" and "derogatory" response to a query. The court was hearing an application in a money laundering case filed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who was recently cleared by the Supreme Court. The judge also mentioned a previous case where the ED's counsel made a false submission and cited the high court mandate on not granting unnecessary adjournments. In a separate incident, two members of the 'Thak-Thak gang' were recently arrested by the Delhi Police.