National
ED raids Karti’s houses, Chidambaram calls it ‘comedy of errors’ (Lead)
New Delhi/Chennai, Jan 13 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday searched the houses of former Union Minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karti in Delhi and Chennai in connection with a money laundering case with the senior Congress leader saying he had anticipated the probe agency would “do some drama to cover up their tracks”.
The raids were conducted at one location in Delhi and four in Chennai, an ED official said.
The agency on Thursday issued fresh summons to Karti in the money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in getting foreign investment for INX Media in 2007. The ED had registered the case against the former Finance Minister’s son in May 2017.
Chidambaram said the raids were a reaction to the notices sent out by the Supreme Court that heard Karti’s appeal on Friday. The 46-year-old businessman had questioned the cases filed against him by the probe agencies, including the CBI.
The former minister said he had anticipated his house in Chennai will be searched again. “But in a comedy of errors they came to search the premises in Jor Bagh (in Delhi) and officers told me that they believed Karti is an occupant of this house but he is not. He lives in Chennai.
“I told them he is a resident of Chennai and I am the occupant of this house. In Chennai also they recovered nothing. In fact in the Chennai premises, they have conducted raids three times so far,” Chidambaram told reporters in Delhi.
The former Finance Minister said the Supreme Court had issued notices to the ED in the cases filed by Karti on the ground that the agency had no jurisdiction over offences under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
He said he had no objection to their conducting searches because they had warrants but questioned the ED’s jurisdiction in the matter.
“The main ground in the cases is that there is no FIR in respect of a scheduled crime registered by any police agency, including the CBI or any other investigating agency. In the absence of a scheduled crime and there are no proceeds of the crime, the ED has no jurisdiction under PMLA.
“The ED has no jurisdiction to investigate (the case) under the PMLA. I recorded that. Obviously they found nothing. They searched bedroom, kitchen. They found nothing. Since they have to justify, they came here.
“They took away papers related to a statement made by the government in 2012-13 in the case and the background papers related to the case. They took away 13 loose sheets of paper. I have recorded that. They are photocopies of the statement made in parliament.
He said the ED officers who searched his house “were polite” and “were quite embarrassed and apologetic” as they found that Karti was not an occupant of the Delhi house.
Chidambaram said since the ED officials had the search warrant he did not raise any objections to the search.
The ED had in December conducted similar searches on the premises of a relative of Karti and others in this case.
Karti is facing a probe for his alleged role in facilitating the FIPB’s clearance for Mumbai-based INX Media when his father was the Union Finance Minister.
He is alleged to have received Rs 3.5 crore from INX media, now 9X Media, for helping it get the FIPB clearance.
–IANS
rak/sar/sac
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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