Three Indian Nationals Abducted by Al-Qaida-Linked Terrorists in Mali: MEA Condemns, Crisis Deepens
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Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Govt works towards gathering details of Ganjam youth in Mali
Berhampur: Union govt through the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has started work to gather details about a 28-year-old man from Ganjam district, who is suspected to be one of the three Indians abducted by a terrorist group in Kayes, Mali, on July 1. The Ganjam administration is in touch with the family. P. Venkatraman of Samarajhol under Hinjili police limits is an employee of Diamond Cement Factory. His family after losing contact with him on July 1 fears that he might have been kidnapped from his workplace and has appealed to the govt for his safe return. "The government has taken up the matter and the administration is in touch with the MEA. There is no clarity on the status of the Ganjam youth," said collector (Ganjam) Dibya Jyoti Parida. "Since the incident took place in Mali, we cannot register a case here, even though the family lodged a complaint. We are in touch with the MEA and his family," said SP (Ganjam) Subhendu Patra. The anxiety of Venkatraman's family is growing with each passing day. "Since June 30, I have had no contact with him. His phone is switched off. I am very worried about him," said P. Narasama, Venkatraman's mother. The family learned about the abduction through social media and suspected Venkatraman was one of the victims, said his sister, P. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Jenamani. Former chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has urged Union external affairs minister S. Jaishankar to personally intervene and secure Venkatraman's early and safe release. "Concerned to know that Panad Venkat Raman of Hinjilicut block of Ganjam district has been kidnapped by extremists in Mali. He has remained incommunicado since then, leaving his family in deep agony," Patnaik stated on social media platform X. On Wednesday, India expressed serious concern over the incident and urged Malian authorities to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped persons. The Indian Embassy in Bamako is coordinating with the Mali govt, local security forces, and the factory's management.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
US arrests Nirav Modi's brother Nehal in extradition case
NEW DELHI: In an important development, Nehal Modi - brother of fugitive Nirav Modi and one of the key accused in the Punjab National Bank's Rs 13,500 crore swindle and the related money laundering case - was arrested by US authorities from New York on Friday in an extradition case filed by ED and CBI. In the PNB money laundering case, the main accused - Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi - were earlier arrested in the UK and Belgium, respectively, on India's extradition request and pending Red Corner Notices. They are currently in prison and have been denied bail till pendency of their extradition proceedings. Sources said the US department of justice has informed Indian authorities about Nehal's arrest and has also conveyed that it would oppose his bail application when it comes up in court on July 17. "As per the complaint filed by the US prosecution, extradition proceedings are being pursued on two counts: one count of money laundering under the PMLA and one count of criminal conspiracy under the IPC," sources said. According to chargesheets filed by ED earlier, Nehal played a key role in laundering proceeds of crime on behalf of his brother, Nirav. "He assisted in concealing and transferring large sums of illicit funds through a web of shell companies and overseas transactions," ED alleged in the chargesheet. On his alleged role, sources said Nehal was personally overseeing that all the accounts and records were destroyed, and was influencing employees/witnesses to conceal money trail and proceeds of crime. ED's evidence against Nehal includes his "footprint" in laundering huge stockpiles of gold, diamonds and cash consignments from Dubai and Hong Kong-based entities of Nirav. According to charges levelled by the agencies, Nehal, after the scam was unearthed, took away diamonds worth $6 million and 150 boxes of pearls from Hong Kong, huge cash, including AED 150 million and 50kg gold from Dubai, and laundered them in safe havens. "He destroyed digital evidence (mobile phones and servers) pertaining to the Nirav Modi case in Dubai and intimidated witnesses, sent them to Cairo, and destroyed their passports so that they cannot travel," sources said. The development also represents coordination between Indian agencies and their US counterparts. Officials of ED and CBI will hold a "status conference" with the US prosecution on the nature of crime and charges slapped against him in India for laundering proceeds of crime. The details of non-bailable warrants against him and cognisance of chargesheets taken by the special courts would also be conveyed to the prosecution service. Agencies, in their multiple chargesheets filed in the PNB case during 2018 and 2019, have levelled serious allegations against Nehal - of destroying evidence and laundering proceeds of crime on behalf of his brother. ED has attached Rs 2,700 crore worth of assets so far in this case in India and abroad. Nirav, Mehul and Nehal are among 34 persons/companies accused in the case.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Arms dealer 'linked to Vadra' now a fugitive
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday declared arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari a fugitive economic offender, observing that failed extradition attempts does not make him an "angel or immune from the prosecution for the violation of Indian laws". The order, which was reserved by the court of Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal on May 24, was pronounced on Saturday. "Extradition attempt may have failed, but it will not make accused angel or immune from the prosecution for the violation of Indian laws. FEO proceedings are another way of making one come back to India to face trial by coercing him to return by attachment, confiscation of properties of such fugitive economic offender and proceeds of crime, and by disentitling the such fugitive economic offender from putting forward or defending any civil claim," the judge said in his 100-page judgment. "...this court is satisfied that Sanjay Bhandari is a fugitive economic offender under section 12(1) of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, and is declared as such under the above provision(s)" of the Act, he said. ED and I-T department had in the extradition proceedings claimed that Bhandari had undisclosed foreign income worth Rs 655 crore on which he evaded tax worth Rs 196 crore. The middleman in defence deals, allegedly a key factor in deals like that of trainer aircraft Pilatus, deposited huge amounts of money in bank accounts of overseas shell companies and also invested in properties in the UAE and the UK between 2009 and 2016. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo The case against Bhandari has an important political dimension - his alleged links with Robert Vadra , spouse of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Robert is also being probed for his links with Bhandari, who fled to London when multiple agencies started investigating him in 2016. The judgment came on the ED's application filed under the Act in 2019. The court said the "fugitive" tag is to an individual who has committed schedule offence or offences involving an amount of Rs 100 crore or more and who has absconded or refused to return to avoid criminal prosecution. This will allow ED to confiscate his properties anywhere in the world and bar Bhandari, who is wanted by Indian agencies in multiple cases, from filing or defending any civil proceedings in India. The judge dismissed Bhandari's counsel's argument that the UK high court's order disallowing ED's plea for his extradition makes him eligible to stay in London, and therefore, FEO won't apply to him. "The said argument is without any substance as the extradition failure will not make any difference as the extradition of the accused was one of the means to bring the accused to India to face trial in the said offence under Section 51 of the Black Money Act," the judge said. The court stressed Bhandari wilfully refused to return to face criminal prosecution, and said, "...this court is satisfied that the total value of the schedule offence is Rs 100 crore or more i.e. the schedule to the present FEO Act which is Section 51 of Black Money Act." The court also rejected Bhandari's contention that declaring him a fugitive economic offender entails very serious consequences, effectively amounting to economic death penalty. "Bhandari always has an option to return... when he chooses not to return to India, he cannot take the plea of avoiding all the legal consequences... In any case those who play with fire should be aware of its consequences," the court said.
