Anil Ambani offers to 'virtually appear' before ED in FEMA case
New Delhi (PTI): Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani has offered to appear before the Enforcement Directorate through "virtual means" following summons issued to him under the FEMA for Friday.
A statement issued by a spokesperson of the 66-year-old businessman said he has written to the federal probe agency assuring "fully cooperation" in the probe being conducted under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The agency, according to sources, had asked Ambani to appear in person on Friday and get recorded his statement under the FEMA.
The investigation pertains to the Jaipur-Reengus Highway Project where the ED suspects that funds worth about Rs 100 crore were sent abroad via the hawala route.
The ED has recorded the statement of various persons, including some alleged hawala dealers, following which they decided to summon Ambani, the sources said.
Hawala denotes illegal movement of funds, largely in cash.
The businessman has once been questioned by the ED in a money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 17,000 crore worth bank fraud against his group companies.
"The matter (FEMA case) is 15 years old, dates to 2010, and concerns issues associated with a road contractor," the statement said.
In 2010, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. awarded an EPC contract for the construction of the JR Toll Road (Jaipur-Ringus Highway), it said.
"This was a purely domestic contract with no foreign exchange component involved whatsoever.
"The JR Toll Road has been fully completed and, from 2021 onwards has been with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for over past four years," the statement added.
Ambani is not a member of the Board of Reliance Infrastructure.
"He served the company for about fifteen years, from April 2007 to March 2022, only as a non-executive director, and was never involved in day-to-day management of the company," it said.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
