The Delhi High Court has rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim plea to be released from Enforcement Directorate’s custody in relation to a money laundering case connected with the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.
The high court said that due to the nature of interim relief sought by Kejriwal, it cannot pass any order without giving proper hearing to the ED. The next date of hearing is April 3.
Meanwhile, India on March 27 expressed “strong objection” to the remarks of the U.S. State Department on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case of alleged corruption. In a statement the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that “fellow democracies” should respect each other’s sovereignty and highlighted India’s “independent judiciary”.
“We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department about certain legal proceedings in India. In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents,” said the MEA in a response.
On March 25, the spokesperson of the State Department had said the U.S. government hoped Kejriwal’s case would be treated through a “timely legal process”.
“We encourage a fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Chief Minister Kejriwal,” the U.S. spokesperson said in response to an emailed question about the case.
“India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted,” the MEA said on Wednesday.
The U.S. response came a day after India summoned Germany’s Deputy Chief of Mission Georg Enzweiler after German Foreign Office spokesperson Sebastian Fischer had said that his country had taken note of Kejriwal’s arrest. He had said, “We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case.”
India on March 27 summoned a senior U.S. diplomat and lodged a strong protest against a U.S. state department official’s remarks on Kejriwal’s arrest. MEA officials summoned Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gloria Berbena at its office in South Block, in New Delhi. The meeting lasted for more than 30 minutes.
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Kejriwal in a money-laundering case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’. The case pertains to alleged corruption and money-laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.
Dilip Ghosh, Supriya Shrinate issued show-cause notices by ECI
The ECI has slapped show-cause notices on BJP leader Dilip Ghosh and Congress leader Supriya Shrinate for their offensive remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kangana Ranaut respectively. Their remarks were “undignified and in bad taste”, the ECI said.
The poll panel said that prima facie, their remarks were violative of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and its advisory to political parties to maintain dignity during electioneering.
The MCC came into force on March 16 when the Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections. The two leaders have been asked to respond by March 29 evening.
The EC took action against Shrinate following a complaint by the BJP that alleged she had posted a picture of Ranaut along with “derogatory remarks” on social media platform X. The notice to West Bengal BJP leader Ghosh was issued after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) approached the Commission. According to the English translation of Ghosh’s remark, as provided by the EC in its notice, he had said: “When Didi goes to Goa, she becomes Goa’s daughter, in Tripura, she says I am Tripura’s daughter, decide who is your father, this is not right”.
The EC said on careful examination, the comment has been found to be offensive. The poll authority reminded the two leaders of the provision of the MCC which states that criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work.
“Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.” The commission’s advisory issued to the political parties regarding plummeting levels of political discourse notes that no aspect of the private life, not connected with the public activities, of the leaders or workers of other parties is to be criticised.
“Low level personal attacks to insult the rivals shall not be made. The political parties and candidates to refrain from any deeds/action/utterances that may be construed as being repugnant to the honour and dignity of women,” it said.
ED summons TMC MP Mahua Moitra, businessman Darshan Hiranandani on March 28 in FEMA case
The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to TMC leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case on March 28, official sources said March 27.
The 49-year-old Trinamool Congress leader was called for questioning earlier also by the central agency.
Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December for “unethical conduct”, has been renominated by her party from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided her premises in connection with the cash-for-query case on Saturday, days after anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal directed the federal agency to investigate the allegations levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
Dubey, a Lok Sabha member, has alleged that Moitra asked questions in the House in exchange for cash and gifts from Dubai-based Hiranandani to mount an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.
Transactions linked to a non-resident external (NRE) account are under the ED’s scanner apart from a few other foreign remittances and fund transfers, the sources said.
Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and claims that she is being targeted as she raised questions on the deals of the Adani Group.
CMRL pay-off case | ED files case against Kerala CM’s daughter Veena, her IT company
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Investigation Report (ECIR) in connection with the alleged monthly pay-off controversy, involving the company of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena.
The ECIR was registered by the Kochi unit of the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Central agency has acted on the basis of the report by the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board (ITSIB) in August 2023 stating that T. Veena and her company Exalogic Solutions Private Ltd. had received ₹1.72 crore as monthly payments from the Kochi-based Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. (CMRL) despite there being no evidence of any services given in return.
The probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SIFO) under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs into the monthly pay-off case is progressing.
It is learnt that the ED probe will include the individuals and entities on the record of the ITSIB order. Besides Veena, the role of CMRL and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), which holds 13.4% shares in CMRL, will also be investigated.
The High Court of Karnataka had in February rejected the petition filed by Exalogic Solutions Private Limited questioning the action of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) ordering a probe by the SFIO into the affairs of the company.
The MCA had told the court that Illegal payments made to the extent of ₹135 crore by CMRL to various political functionaries of Kerala and certain other entities, including Exalogic, had necessitated the probe.
Thailand moves closer to legalising same-sex unions as Parliament passes landmark bill
Thailand’s lower house of parliament on March 27 passed a marriage equality bill at the final reading, in a landmark step that moves the country closer to becoming the third territory in Asia to legalise same-sex unions.
The bill now requires approval from the Senate and endorsement from the king before it becomes law. It had the support of all of Thailand’s major parties and was passed by 400 of the 415 lawmakers present, with 10 voting against it.
“We did this for all Thai people to reduce disparity in society and start creating equality,” Danuphorn Punnakanta, chairman of the parliamentary committee on the draft bill, told lawmakers ahead of the reading.
The passing of the bill marks a significant step towards cementing Thailand’s position as one of Asia’s most liberal societies on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, with openness and free-wheeling attitudes coexisting with traditional, conservative Buddhist values.
Thailand has long been a draw for same-sex couples, with a vibrant LGBT social scene for locals and expatriates, and targeted campaigns to attract LGBT travellers. The bill could take effect within 120 days of royal approval. Thailand would follow Taiwan and Nepal in becoming the first places in Asia to legalise same-sex unions.
The legislation has been more than a decade in the making, with delays due to political upheaval and disagreement on what approaches to take and what should be included in the bill.
In Brief
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she declined to contest the elections as she did not have the ‘kind of funds’ required to fight the Lok Sabha polls. The Finance Minister said that J.P. Nadda, the party president, gave her the option to contest from either Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. “After thinking over a week or ten days, I just went back to say... maybe not. I do not have that kind of money to contest. I also have a problem whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. It’s also going to be a question of various other winnability criteria that they use...Are you from this community or are you from that religion? Are you from this? I said no, I do not think I am going to able to do it,” she said while speaking at an event.
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
