Satyam Computers founder Ramalinga Raju and another accused appeared before a court here in connection with a prosecution complaint filed by Enforcement Directorate against them for offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Enforcement Directorate in October last year had file the complaint against Raju and 212 others, including 166 companies, before the XXI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court cum Special Sessions Judge here for allegedly laundering funds under a “corporate veil” to perpetrate the accounting scam that rocked the business world in 2009.
ED in its prosecution investigation report sought to “prosecute the accused for offence of money laundering” under PMLA.
The court subsequently took cognisance of the complaint and had issued summons against the accused seeking their appearance and accordingly they did so today.
The ED report said that Ramalinga Raju and the other accused, who have also been probed by CBI, “derived proceeds of crime from the sale and pledge of inflated shares of M/s Satyam Computers and Services Ltd (SCSL)”.
The prosecution complaint (charge sheet), names 213 accused — 47 individuals (among them Ramalinga Raju and nine other accused already named in the CBI charge sheet in the multi-crore Satyam accounting fraud case) and 166 firms — including SCSL.
Besides, Raju, the former chairman of Satyam Computers, his brother B Suryanarayana Raju, Satyam’s former MD B Rama Raju, ex-CFO Vadlamani Srinivas, former PwC auditors Subramani Gopalakrishnan, T Srinivas and Satyam’s former internal chief auditor V S Prabhakar Gupta were among others who appeared in the court and executed personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each.
The court then posted the matter to May 5 and directed to serve copies of the prosecution complaint and other related documents to the accused.
ED which had earlier interrogated prime accused Ramalinga Raju, Rama Raju, and the others had registered a case against the Satyam founder and his family under PMLA, which defines money laundering offences as those involving money derived from any activity connected with the proceeds of crime.
The Act provides for the freezing and seizure of the proceeds of crime.
So far, 350 immovable and five movable properties, valued at a cumulative Rs 1,075 crore, have been attached in the case, ED had said.
Nowadays, restlessly NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is attacking Rahul Gandhi and Congress for every reason irrespective of small or big but on the other hand, Varun Gandhi, who is also BJP’s national General Secretary, praised his cousin Rahul Gandhi for his work. In a video clip, Varun Gandhi is heard telling a group of teachers in Sultanpur that Rahul Gandhi had done good work for empowerment of women in Amethi. Varun Gandhi, who had to give explanation after his praise for estranged cousin Rahul Gandhi’s work in Amethi, upset the BJP and has received advice from his mother Maneka – “use your brain more than your heart.” To cover up her son’s mistake (actually honest conservations), Maneka Gandhi told that she herself had been to Amethi and seen no development there. Nobody should comment on something, unless you see it with your own eyes. Some people might have told him that good work has been done in Amethi and he said it. It is not right. Maneka has proven herself that she is not a good mother. She has questioned her own son’s integrity, when it came to politics. Anyways, Varun Gandhi has clarified later that his comments were not an “endorsement” of the candidature of Mr. Rahul Gandhi or the Congress Party. “My comment was in response to being asked whether I knew about the initiatives in Amethi, although I had not seen the work there. I heard it. It should not be seen as an endorsement of any political party or candidate.”
Varun seems to be an honest and sincere guy, and without bothering about party politics he issues his statement by praising his brother. Varun, an MP from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, shifted to Sultanpur this time, he ruled out campaigning against Rahul in neighbouring Amethi, a constituency represented in the past by both their fathers, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. Varun and Rahul are the grandsons of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The blood is always thicker; no matter how these cousins are separated from each other and got vitiated their minds but after all, the blood flowing in their veins are the same. Maneka Gandhi fell out with Indira Gandhi after Sanjay Gandhi’s death; she and her son both joined the BJP in 2004.
There is no doubt, people have shown immense faith in Congress Party and Gandhi family, which is the reason why they ruled this country most of the time. Rahul is leading like a true leader and is maturing with time. The fact that people showed immense faith in Rahul Gandhi says it all about Rahul’s success in Amethi. In the last few years, our economy has improved under UPA government’s tenure. It also eradicated poverty. Rahul’s mother played a very constructive role in his gradual progress whereas Menaka failed to do so with his son Varun.
She made him extreme communal and hard core Hindutva based leader. I genuinely feel that Rahul Gandhi is in supreme command and is ready for the responsibility. Rahul is getting success and acceptance because of his honesty and dedication. Varun has very rightly praised Rahul Gandhi. Congress did inclusive work in Amethi. Rahul’s efforts helped the poor people there.
Congress’ and Rahul Gandhi’s main focus have been to develop Amethi in agriculture, women empowerment and education. People here gave good treatment to Congress Party. Farmers and Dalits were supported. If someone has done good work in his/her constituency then that person deserves praise. It’s always good to listen to his views on problems. He comes up with proper solutions. It is true that Rahul is working continuously in a strategic manner, where, he has created a foundation for an educational hub, a food park and connectivity of the farmers with the outside world.
The facts cannot be altered. Even people living in Amethi know that work has been done there. Varun Gandhi has praised the work done by Rahul Gandhi in Amethi because Rahul genuinely worked there for the local people. He looked committed and showed credentials.
I remember, noted writer late Khushwant Singh, who was a staunch admirer of Sanjay Gandhi’s actions during the Emergency, was always critical of Varun Gandhi and said, his hate- speech was a result of his “bad upbringing” by Maneka Gandhi. She (Maneka Gandhi) has badly brought up her child. I could not believe the words attributed to him about Muslims. Though he has denied them, he cannot get rid of it. Varun seems immature. At this juncture, when Lok Sabha elections are at the corner, these comments may spoil BJP’s plan against Rahul. One should learn to appreciate things and if Varun has appreciated something, it should be taken in good sense instead of thinking about their party’s success. This signifies that we are still self-centered people and want to grab position instead of working for the country. Today’s politics involves only criticism.
You speak badly about each other and try to show that the other party is useless then you are a good politician. Our country will never progress with this attitude. Politicians should appreciate good work of others. The development in Amethi is Rahul’s gift. People of Amethi are happy with his work and projects which are taking place in his constituency. They don’t want to vote for others, whether she is BJP’s Smriti Irani or AAP’s Kumar Vishwas. People here don’t trust anyone except the Gandhi family. These are new faces and have just entered Amethi. When they have a star like Rahul then why will they stare at others?
Anyway, I don’t want to comment but will appreciate Varun for using his heart to praise his cousin. I also appreciate Rahul Gandhi, for being thankful to the gestures of his cousin. I hope this young generation will think beyond hate politics.
In one of her strongest attacks on BJP star Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday asked people not to elect “a big liar” as the country’s next prime minister.
Without taking Modi’s name, Gandhi told an election rally in Jharkhand that some opposition leaders were selling dreams, as if “they will change everything in one day with a magic wand”.
“Will the country chose a prime minister a person who will be a big liar?” she said at Ramgarh in Hazaribagh district.
“In a democracy, just anyone should not be allowed to grab power.” But she did not refer to Modi by name in her speech.
Gandhi urged Maoists to shun violence and join the mainstream of the society.
And in an appeal to coal workers, she also said that it was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who nationalized the coal mines in order to improve the lot of the labourers.
She detailed the achievements of the Congress-led UPA government in the last 10 years.
Even as the country awaits the release its poll manifesto, the BJP on Friday released what it called ‘BJP’s chargesheet on Congress led UPA’.
The voluminous document lists outs charges against the UPA government, accusing it of being an all round failure in the ten years it has been in power. The BJP said the UPA will be remembered as the “most corrupt government of India”.
In all the chargesheet lists out nine charges against the UPA.
Compromising the dignity and integrity of the office of Prime Minister
The chargesheet says Dr Manmohan Singh worked more like the CEO of a company where the board was headed by Sonia Gandhi with Rahul Gandhi as her deputy.
Dr Manmohan Singh made all compromises to remain in office and one does not come across a single case when he made decisive intervention to prevent loot of public money in a series of scams which became the defining feature of his government, is said.
Sonia and Rahul will have to share the blame equally as they wanted power without accountability, the BJP alleged.
Destruction of Indian economy
The NDA government had left the economy at a robust 8.4% GDP growth level but the UPA government systemically destroyed each and every component of the economy, the
The UPA government failed to control price rise and generate employment.
An endless saga of scam and corruption
The chargesheet lists out all the scams that occurred during the UPA’s tenure. From the 2G scam to the Adarsh scam, the list also has corresponding loss to exchequer figures – based on CAG and media reports.
Serious challenges to national security
The BJP said the UPA was found wanting in delivering requisite response to matters related to national security.
Issues like border violations by China, threat from Pakistan, failure to counter Jehadi terrorism, internal security concerns including that of women’s safety are also part of the chargesheet.
Vote bank politics has seriously compromised the fight against terror, it added.
Failure in foreign policy
The BJP blamed the UPA for India’s waning geo-political clout in its neighbourhood . “We have lost goodwill of each of our neighbours,” it said.
Neglect of development of North-East
Highlighting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha. The chargesheet said that not a single major industry has been established in the state in the last ten years.
It also questions the UPA’s government’s track record on preventing infiltration from Bangladesh.
Education and Healthcare
The BJP claimed that the UPA government provided least importance to these sectors. The government cut down on the grant to health ministry by 20.6%.
Undermining institutions
The BJP chargesheet alleges that the UPA had systematically compromised sanctity and integrity of institutions like the CAG and the CBI.
Failure of manifesto
Congress failed on the promises made in its manifesto like ‘zero tolerance towards terrorism’ and high level of defence preparedness, the chargesheet said.
“The UPA government has been a disaster for the country. It has left a legacy of suffering, agony, disappointment and hopelessness for the people of India,” the chargesheet concluded.
A sting operation by Cobrapost has claimed that the demolition of Babri Masjid was not a spontaneous act by Kar Sevaks in frenzy but was planned well in advance with top leaders of the BJP, Shiv Sena, the larger Sangh Parivar and some Congress leaders in the know.
Cobrapost claimed that the sting was carried out by a reporter who travelled across the country posing as the author of the Ayodhya movement and interviewed 23 persons who played a key role in the movement. The sting said ‘Operation Janambhoomi’ was planned in great detail to demolish the Babri mosque on 6 December 1992.
Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, Kalyan Singh, Champat Rai, Sadhavi Ritambhara, Jai Bhagwan Goel, Mahant Avaidyanath are among those who were interviewed.
The BJP has cried foul over the sting operation and questioned its timing as the first phase of voting in Lok Sabha polls is due in two days.
The party said that the sting operation is a sponsored one aimed and vitiating the poll atmosphere in the country.
Party leader Mukhtar Abbaz Naqvi alleged that the sting was a Congress conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere ahead of the polls. The BJP has approached the Election Commission over the issue and has demanded that the broadcast of the Cobrapost sting be stopped.
The sting claimed:
• The Babri demolition conspiracy was hatched by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Shiv Sena separately
• These two organisations had trained their cadre much before the demolition on December 6
• The RSS had formed a formed a suicide squad ‘balidani dasta’
• Cadre of the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the VHP, had carried out training exercise in Sarkhej in Gujarat while Sena men trained in Bind-Morena in MP
• Bajrang Dal had formed ‘Laxman Sena’, trained by former military officers, to deliberately bring down the masjid
• Laxman Sena was trained in the use of grappling hooks and petrol bombs and they had carried dynamite sticks as a back-up plan
• Both Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj Thackeray kept a close tab on the movement. Shiv Sena had its secret parleys in Delhi in November 1992
• Kalyan Singh, then CM of Uttar Pradesh, had a foreknowledge of what was going to happen
• Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao was also in the know of the plot
• The first attempt on Babri was foiled by the police and resulted in killing of Kar Sevaks. There were two determined efforts on Babri – first in 1990 and then in 1992.
Union minister Salman Khurshid on Friday appealed to all those following “secular” ideology to come together with Congress and took a dig at Narendra Modi for objecting to Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi.
“Better late than never,” he quipped when asked about Bukhari approaching Congress president.
“All having secular ideology should get connected with Congress…. Not just this a big revolution could take place if Narendra Modi turns secular,” Khurshid said yesterday.
To a question on Samajwadi Party’s election manifesto released earlier this week, he said: “They could not implement the promises made in the manifesto for assembly elections, so speaking on the Lok Sabha poll manifesto would be of no use”.
“These are the times of expressways where vehicles are running at a very high speed…. Under these circumstances, it would be a compulsion for bicycle (SP symbol) to make way”, the Congress candidate from the seat added.
In a relief to social activist Teesta Setalwad, her husband Javed Anand and slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri’s son Tanvir, the Gujarat High Court on Friday stayed their arrest till April 23 in connection with the Gulbarg fund embezzlement case.
The High Court extended the stay after the state government sought further time to file a reply and assured that it will not arrest Teesta and others till further hearing.
Following the state government’s representation, Justice Anant S Dave granted the stay till April 23 and posted the hearing on the same day.
The High Court, while acting upon the anticipatory bail plea of Setalwad, Anand, Jafri, Gulbarg Society’s secretary Feroz Gulzar and chairman Salim Sandhi, had earlier granted the stay till today.
The five sought bail from the High Court as the sessions court here had rejected their bail plea on March 25.
The sessions court judge had observed that there was prima facie documentary evidence against the accused, which needed a thorough probe.
The city crime branch had registered an FIR against Setalvad and others for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore, collected by them in form of donations them for turning Gulbarg Society into a mausoleum.
Twelve residents of Gulbarg society had demanded Rs 1.51 crore from Setalvad last year alleging that the money collected in their name was never distributed.
Setalvad and Anand had also petitioned before the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of an FIR registered against them for alleged misappropriation of funds and de-freezing of their bank accounts, which the court rejected.
On February 28, 2002, following the Godhra train carnage, 68 people including former MP Ehsan Zafri were killed by a mob at Gulbarg Society here during the riots.
Arvind Kejriwal, the top man of the Aam Aadmi Party or AAP, has been hit in Delhi while campaigning.
Mr. Kejriwal was punched in the back in the Dakshinpuri area of South Delhi while he was shaking hands with supporters.
Later the man was thrashed by AAP workers and handed over to the police.
“Our religion teaches us non-violence. If we raise our hands, this movement will come to an end,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
Appealing for calm, the AAP leader asked his supporters not to indulge in any violence. He later cancelled his roadshow.
Some days ago, Mr. Kejriwal was in Haryana when a man climbed onto his jeep and hit him in the neck. AAP supporters then assaulted the man before handing him over to the police.
On Twitter, Mr. Kejriwal reprimanded those involved, urging, “If we ever become violent, the movement wud be finished. So, pl pl pl, in future, if anyone hits us including me, we shud be nice to him, (sic).”
Last month, the 45-year-old was sprayed with ink and Mobil oil while campaigning in Varanasi, where he is running for Parliament against the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.
She was just 16 when she was abducted and then raped in different places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 18 years after the heinous assault, 24 men were convicted today on charges ranging from rape, outraging the modesty of a woman to abetting the crime. The man who was the ring-leader has been sentenced to life in prison by the Kerala High Court.
The gang-rape survivor told NDTV today, “I am happy and relieved that there has been justice and that people have got to know the truth.” She was raped more than 60 times in hotels, homes and cars. Her attackers included a retired professor, lawyers and businessmen.
In 2005, in a verdict that shocked women’s rights activists, 34 of the 35 suspects were acquitted by the Kerala High Court. The woman challenged that in the Supreme Court, but had to wait eight years for a hearing. In January 2013, the Supreme Court ordered a re-trial of the Suryanelli rape case (the woman belongs to Suryanelli in the Idukki district of Kerala).
Five of the accused died during the trial.
The woman and her parents say that their fight for justice has been a long and lonely one. They shifted base to a different district because they say neighbours were hostile. The rape survivor says she leaves home only to go to work.
She was kidnapped by a bus conductor on her way to school. Dharmarajan, a lawyer in his 40s, convicted for orchestrating her sexual exploitation by other suspects, was sentenced to life in prison today.
In one of her strongest attacks on BJP star Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday asked people not to elect “a big liar” as the country’s next prime minister.