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Fertiliser co-op in eye of scam storm

April 24, 2012

scam


New Delhi, April 24: The leading fertiliser producing cooperative in the country, Kribhco, is under a cloud following a controversial joint venture takeover of an ailing fertiliser plant at Shahjanpur in Uttar Pradesh at an inflated cost.

Kribhco, a multi state co-operative society under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Chemical and Fertilisers, purchased the ailing Oswal Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (OCFL) in 2005 in a joint venture with Shyam Basic Infrastructure Project at a cost of Rs 1,900 crore.

The purchase of the plant in joint venture, in which Kribhco currently has 85 per cent stake, has been taken to the Delhi High Court where several questions have been raised amid a gamut of transactions.

Several RTI replies, submitted to the court, imply that the valuation of assets of company was not only conducted in a hasty manner but also the consultant which did valuation did not have experience in valuing the fertiliser companies.

As per the documents obtained through RTI, the valuation of assets of Oswal Fertiliser Plant was conducted by Edelweiss Capital Limited which was engaged by Shyam Group of companies, promoter of Shyam Telecom, on November 3, 2005.

Within two days, on November 5, 2011, the valuation was completed, the deal was sealed and Kribhco agreed to pay Rs 1,900 crore.

In the RTI reply, Kribhco admitted that Edelweiss Capital had no previous experience of valuing a fertiliser plant. Shyam Group is active in telecom and related areas, and had no experience in fertiliser industry.

Moreover, Kribhco had stated that Edelweiss for its report relied on the information provided to them by OCFL.

Suspecting a scam, BJP MP and also former Union Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and brought the matter to his notice.

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News Network
April 20,2020

London, Apr 20 : Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated ₹9,000 crore, today lost a High Court appeal in UK against his extradition order to India.

A consortium of Indian public sector banks led by the State Bank of India had sought a bankruptcy order against Mallya as part of efforts to recoup around GBP 1.145 billion of unpaid loans from Mallya.

The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss had appealed to the High Court against his extradition to India at a hearing in February this year.

Lord Justice Stephen Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing, the two-member bench at the Royal Courts of Justice in London presiding over the appeal, dismissed the appeal in a judgment handed down remotely due to the current coronavirus lockdown.

"We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the SDJ [Senior District Judge] is in some respects wider than that alleged by the Respondent in India [Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED)], there is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India," the judges ruled.

Earlier this month, the High Court in London had deferred hearings on a plea by the SBI-led consortium of Indian banks, seeking the indebted tycoon to be declared bankrupt to enable them recover their loan from him.

Justice Michael Briggs of the insolvency division of the High Court granted relief to Mallya, ruling that he should be given time till his petitions to the Supreme Court of India and his settlement proposal before the Karnataka High Court be determined, allowing him time to repay his debts to the banks in full.

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News Network
May 18,2020

Muscat, May 18: An Air India special flight left for Hyderabad with a total of 182 stranded Indians from Oman on Monday.

"IX 818 departed for Hyderabad with total 182 passengers. We again express our gratitude to Omani & Indian authorities and wish all the passengers, safe journey home," Indian embassy in Oman said in a tweet.

Under the Vande Bharat Mission, Air India operated repatriation flight from Oman on Sunday to Kerala. It had brought back 183 Indians.

The phased evacuation is being done under the Centre's 'Vande Bharat' mission whose second phase started from May 16.

In order to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals in Oman, the Indian government has decided to operate more special flights to Bangalore, Calicut, Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, and Gaya on May 20, 21, 22 and 23.

Under the second phase, a total of 149 flights, including feeder flights, are expected to be operated to bring back stranded Indians from 40 countries.

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News Network
August 3,2020

Indore, Aug 3: In a bizarre development, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to an accused in a sexual harassment case on the condition that he will request the victim to tie a ‘rakhi’ on him with a promise to protect her “to the best of his ability for all times to come”.

Justice Rohit Arya on July 30 also ordered the man to pay Rs 11,000 to the complainant as a “customary ritual usually offered by brothers to sisters” on Raksha Bandhan and seek her blessings while visiting her with his wife and a box of sweets. “The applicant shall also tender Rs 5,000 to the son of the complainant for purchase of clothes and sweets,” the order said.

The court directed the accused to take photographs and receipts of payment made to the victim and her son, which should be filed through his lawyer for placing on record of the case before the Registry.

The victim, a resident of Ujjain district, had alleged that her neighbour, Vikram Bagri, entered her house and sexually harassed her on April 20. The police registered a case under Sections 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 354 (A) (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The order said the man, in jail for more than two months, was released on bail, on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with “one solvent surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court, on the condition that he shall remain present before the court concerned during trial,” and comply with conditions under Section 437 (3) of CrPC, along with other conditions.

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