Page 4 - The Indian EYE 071522

BIG STORY JULY 08, 2022 | The Indian Eye 4

ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE

THE SUPER

AGENCY

Nobody in India is now beyond the reach of the federal investigating agency that looks into financial crimes and irregularities.
Some Opposition leaders cry foul, but the probes against firms, persons and international organizations go on

OUR BUREAU Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain’s wife
Poonam Jain next week in connection
Mumbai/New Delhi
with an alleged money laundering
ongress leader Rahul Gandhi case. Poonam has been asked to be
recently said that he views his deposed before the ED investigators
Cinterrogation by Enforcement at its headquarters on July 14, an ED
Directorate (ED) in the National official said. The move came almost
Herald case “like a medal”. Address- two months after the ED arrested Sa-
ing a public rally in Kerala, Gandhi tyendar Jain on May 30.
said he was not worried and accused The federal agency on July 1 ar-
the BJP-led government of using rested two associates Satyendar Jain-
probe agencies against its political -Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain-- fol-
rivals. “After I left, I was wondering lowing questioning with them. In the
why they only interrogated me for five case, the ED on June 6 had seized 2.85
days, why not 10 days. I thought may- crore cash and 133 gold coins weigh-
be I’m not opposing them strongly ing 1.80 kg from Satyendra Jain’s
enough...it is quite clear that anybody aides during its day-long raid con-
who opposes the BJP faces ED. I view ducted at various places across Delhi
my five days of interrogation like a and the National Capital Region. The
medal, and I am hoping that they do it agency had also seized various incrim-
again 3,4,5,6,10 times,” Gandhi said. inating documents and digital records
Rahul Gandhi was questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accompanied by his sister and party General Secretary during these raids.
by ED for five days about the own- Priyanka Gandhi arrives at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in connection with the The ED then said that the to-
National Herald case (ANI Photo/ Ayush Sharma )
ership of Young Indian Private Lim- tal movable assets were seized from
ited (YIL) by the Gandhi family and an “unexplained source” and were
its shareholding pattern in Associate ty of Rs 51.72 crore and Rs 10 crore od between November 2013 and June “found to be secreted” in the raided
Journals Limited (AJL), the company respectively. 2018, remittance which was received premises.
that runs the National Herald news- The adjudicating authority of ED by AIIPL and claimed as a receipt for The ED initiated the mon-
paper. issued the notice. The federal agency Business and Management Consul- ey-laundering investigation on the
The Enforcement Directorate had initiated an investigation under tancy and Public Relation Services for basis of the First Information Report
or ED has become a dreaded name FEMA on the basis of information export of services to the foreign bene- registered by the Central Bureau of
in India. It is now synonymous with that Amnesty International, UK had ficiary is nothing but the amount bor- Investigation (CBI) on 24 August
the government’s action against any- been remitting huge amounts of for- rowed from overseas remitter, there- 2017, under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e)
one seems to be violating the law, eign contributions through its Indi- by violating the FEMA provisions,” of the Prevention of Corruption Act,
especially financial laws. From top an entities (non-FCRA companies) an ED statement mentioned. 1988 against Satyendar Jain, Poonam
politicians to foreign firms to human following the FDI route, in order to After getting a detailed reply Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar
rights groups and businesses are in evade the Foreign Contribution Reg- from AIIPL and following the princi- Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.
the crosshairs of this agency. ulation Act (FCRA) to expand its ple of natural justice, the Adjudicating In another move, Vivo India on
In a major move on Friday, the NGO activities in India, despite of Authority of ED has held that AIIPL Friday approached the Delhi High
Enforcement Directorate (ED) is- denial of prior registration or permis- is an umbrella entity under Amnes- Court to challenge the freezing of
sued a show-cause notice to Amnesty sions to Amnesty International India ty International Ltd, UK, which was the company’s bank account by the
India International Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) Foundation Trust (AIIFT) and other declared to be set up for the cause of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in
and its CEO Aakar Patel for con- trusts under FCRA by Ministry of social activities in India. connection with a money laundering
travention of the provisions of the Home Affairs. Meanwhile, in a continuing case. Vivo India, in the plea, submit-
Foreign Exchange Management Act, “The show cause notice issued by probe, the Enforcement Directorate ted that grave injustice will be caused
1999 (FEMA) and imposed a penal- ED had charged that during the peri- (ED) on Friday issued summons to Continued at next page... >>

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