ED files charge sheet in digital arrest case of industrialist SP Oswal

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Chandigarh, Feb 20 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) Jalandhar Zonal Office has filed a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against five accused in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the digital arrest fraud involving industrialist S.P. Oswal.

According to an official statement issued on Friday, the charge sheet has been filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before the Special PMLA Court in Jalandhar on February 19.

The accused named in the complaint include Rumi Kalita, Arpit Rathore, Anand Chaudhary, Atanu Chaudhary and his firm, M/s Frozenman Warehousing & Logistics.

The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Cyber Crime Police Station, Ludhiana, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

Investigations revealed that during the digital arrest, fraudsters impersonating officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation allegedly extorted Rs 7 crore from Oswal.

The proceeds of crime were initially credited into the bank accounts of M/s Rigglo Ventures Private Limited and M/s Frozenman Warehousing & Logistics. The account of M/s Frozenman Warehousing & Logistics was allegedly controlled by Kalita of Guwahati and Rathore of Kanpur.

The ED further found that proceeds of crime generated from eight other cybercrime cases were also routed into the account of M/s Frozenman Warehousing & Logistics on August 28, 2024.

According to the ED, the accused used an APK application named ‘AMMFORWARD’ to swiftly route the proceeds of crime. Rathore allegedly provided multiple mule bank accounts to individuals based in Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries and received commissions in the form of virtual digital assets (cryptocurrency) credited to his Binance account.

The funds were subsequently transferred in a systematic manner to multiple mule accounts to conceal their origin. A portion of the proceeds was layered through shell entities and remitted abroad using trade-based money laundering mechanisms.

The remaining funds were split into smaller amounts ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and transferred to various mule accounts, from which cash was immediately withdrawn. The cash was then used to acquire virtual digital assets, which were credited to accounts of foreign nationals after deducting commission.

Investigators said these mule accounts were opened by luring economically vulnerable individuals with false promises of loans or employment.

Earlier, the ED had issued a provisional attachment order attaching properties worth Rs 1.76 crore.

Searches were conducted on December 22, December 31 and January 31 in connection with the case. Kalita was arrested on December 23, 2025, while Rathore was arrested on December 31, 2025. Both are currently in judicial custody.

The ED said further investigation in the case is ongoing.

–IANS

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DRI busts seven modules printing fake currency notes in four states

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted another seven modules engaged in the printing of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and arrested nine people in the crackdown across Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

The arrests are part of the continuing drive against modules involved in the import of security paper and printing FICN, in which the DRI conducted simultaneous searches at 11 different places across the four states on Thursday.

In Vikhroli West, Mumbai, DRI sleuths identified and located the importer. After a thorough search in a densely populated locality, a sophisticated facility for printing and finishing the Fake Indian Currency Notes was unearthed and fake currency of the denomination of Rs 50 & Rs 100, several tools were seized. The seized items included laptops, printers, pen drives, security paper, A-4 sized papers and butter paper with the watermark of Mahatma Gandhi, the statement said.

On the basis of the complaint filed by DRI officers, the person was arrested and all the apparatus and tools were seized by the jurisdictional police authorities under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for further investigation.

In Maharashtra’s Sangamner and Kolhapur districts, the DRI unearthed similar facilities with computers and printers, which were being used to print fake Indian currency notes. At both places, on the basis of the complaint filed by DRI officers, two accused were arrested and the contraband was seized by the jurisdictional police authorities under BNS for further investigation, according to the statement.

The questioning of the accused in the Kolhapur module led to the busting of another module with printing set up in Belgaum, by Kolhapur police, who arrested three more persons in the case.

In three other locations, (West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh; Khagaria District in Bihar and Rohtak in Haryana) the importers of the security paper were traced. Incriminating evidence such as restricted security paper and printer at West Godavari; laptops, printers and restricted security paper at Khagaria district were also recovered. The three accused have been arrested by jurisdictional police based on the complaint by DRI officials and the matter has been handed over for further investigation under BNS, the statement explained.

On February 8, the DRI arrested two persons found to be the actual importers of high-quality paper with embedded security thread having inscriptions of ‘RBI’ and ‘Bharat’ (‘security paper’) in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district and Bengaluru, Karnataka.

On the follow-up next day on February 9, the DRI busted two facilities in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai and Bhiwani district in Haryana that were printing FICN using imported security papers. Three persons were arrested by jurisdictional police authorities based on the DRI complaint, the statement added.

–IANS

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Arunachal remains terrorism free despite borders with three countries: Guv

Itanagar, Aug 29 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt. General K.T. Parnaik (Retd.) said on Friday that despite sharing international borders with three countries, the state has remained free from terrorism, unlike some other states of the Northeast.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080-km border with China, 520 km with Myanmar and 217 km with Bhutan.

The Governor, while addressing a function at the Vivekananda Hall, Raj Bhavan, said with pride that the people of Arunachal Pradesh are deeply patriotic, greeting each other with the spirited salutation of ‘Jai Hind’.

He recalled the invaluable support extended by the people of the state to the Indian Armed Forces during the 1962 war, which stands as a testament to their courage and commitment to the nation.

In the event, Lt. General Parnaik (Retd.) conferred Governor’s Citations to the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Dirang, 1900 Field Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the Dogra Regiment, the 16th Battalion of the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry, 4 Corps Signal Regiment, 305 Field Hospital, and 667 Army Aviation Squadron.

The NIMAS and the Army Units received the citations for their outstanding professionalism, sharp operational insight, and indomitable spirit, as well as for fostering a deep bond of trust and synergy with the District Administration and the people of the state.

The Governor commended the army units stationed in Arunachal Pradesh for guiding and preparing the youth for admission into Sainik Schools and recruitment in the armed forces, thereby shaping the future defenders of the nation.

He said that the state of Arunachal Pradesh is an exemplary case of unity in diversity, making it a true model for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.

The Governor also highlighted the Government of India’s Vibrant Villages Programme, aimed at strengthening border areas and empowering people living there.

He urged the Army units to actively support the state government in its implementation so that the borders remain secure and the people in the frontier regions fully benefit from this vital initiative.

The Governor congratulated NIMAS and the Army Units and appreciated their dedication and service.

He said that it is because of the tireless efforts of the armed forces that Arunachal Pradesh continues to progress at a remarkable pace, while adding that NIMAS has contributed to bringing out the best in mountaineers of the state.

–IANS

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Congress responsible for lives lost during Assam agitation: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati, Dec 9 (IANS) Referring to martyrs of the Assam agitation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, alleging that more than 850 youths lost their lives due to the misrule of the then Congress government in the state.

Sarma said that the young people who laid down their lives were victims of “state brutality”, punished for raising a legitimate demand for a “safe and secure Assam”.

“All that we have seen, youths died for demanding that Assam be made a safer place by deporting illegal immigrants in the state. However, unfortunately, more than 850 lives were lost due to the brutality unleashed by the state administration. At that time, Congress was in power at both the Centre and the state. The Congress government was solely responsible for the loss of lives during the Assam agitation,” the CM told reporters here.

As the state government has built the Swahid Smarak in Guwahati, which is set to be inaugurated on Wednesday, the Chief Minister asserted that the present state government has corrected a “historical injustice” by giving the martyrs a permanent memorial in the heart of the city.

Sarma said that for decades, successive governments had failed to provide a permanent resting place for the martyrs, despite the central role they played in shaping modern Assam and preserving its cultural identity. “Their only fault was demanding an end to unchecked infiltration. For years, Assam’s bravehearts were denied the honour they deserved,” he said.

The newly built Swahid Smarak, located in the city’s central precinct, has been conceived as a symbolic space of collective remembrance. The memorial features inscriptions dedicated to the agitators, along with exhibits chronicling the trajectory of the Assam Movement between 1979 and 1985.

Officials said the monument is intended not only as a tribute but also as an educational site for future generations. Swahid Divas, observed on December 10, commemorates the death of the first martyr Khargeswar Talukdar in 1979, whose killing galvanised the agitation led by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

Over the decades, the day has evolved into a political marker for various parties, especially the BJP, which has consistently foregrounded the issue of illegal migration in its electoral messaging.

Reiterating his government’s commitment to protecting Assam’s “land, language and culture,” CM Sarma said the memorial stands as a reminder of the sacrifices made to safeguard the state’s demographic character. “The Swahid Smarak will stand tall as a testament to their supreme sacrifice. Assam will forever remain indebted,” he said.

–IANS

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