Heena Sharma Blog

Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya , wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 90 billion, is set to appear before the Westminster Magistrates' Court here on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is "politically motivated" and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. "I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Kingfisher Airlines. Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud," he said in his recent Twitter post on the issue. "I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it," the flamboyant businessman twee...

The Supreme Court Thursday reserved judgement on the petition moved by CBI Director Alok Verma , challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi concluded the arguments on behalf of Verma, Centre, Central Vigilance Commission and others who were party in the matter. The court also heard the petition moved by NGO Common Cause which had sought court-monitored SIT probe into allegations of corruption against various CBI officials including Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Read More Business Standard

The Delhi High Court Thursday extended till Nov 14 its order asking the CBI to maintain status quo on proceedings against Special Director Rakesh Asthana , allegedly involved in a bribery case. Both CBI and Asthana opposed in the high court the plea of Additional SP S S Gurm, who has been transferred from Delhi to Jabalpur in the wake of feud between CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma and Asthana, to be heard in the matter. The High Court on October 23 had ordered the CBI to maintain status quo on proceedings against Asthana which was further extended on October 29 till Thursday, November 1. The October 23 order had also made it clear that the agency would not take any coercive step against Asthana. Earlier in the day, the CBI in its reply to Asthana's plea seeking to quash an FIR against him, said that allegations against him and others show cognisable offences. The CBI filed the reply in response to the notice issued to it on the petition filed by Asthana against the l...

India's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is witnessing an unprecedented crisis since the last few weeks. The ongoing struggle between the two top bosses - Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana - of the CBI escalated on Monday as the investigating agency conducted a raid on the 10th floor of its own headquarters in New Delhi. The CBI on Monday also arrested its DSP Devender Kumar in connection with bribery allegations against its special Director Rakesh Asthana. The arrest comes a day after the CBI registered an FIR against Asthana, Kumar and two others. Rakesh Asthana, on his part, has drawn up a list of cases against Director Alok Verma and other top CBI officials. He has apparently listed a dozen charges, double the number that the CBI has him docked for. According to latest reports, he has also approached Delhi High Court to get CBI's FIR against him quashed. Read Complete Article Business Standard