Bank fraud case: ED raids pharma company, promoters in money laundering probe
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Friday carried out raids at multiple premises of Chandigarh-based pharmaceutical company Parabolic Drugs and its promoters as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged bank loan fraud case, official sources said.
The searches by the central agency covered a total of 17 premises in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Panchkula and Ambala in Haryana, they said.
The action is being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the ED case stems from a 2021 CBI FIR against the company and its promoters Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta among others, the sources said.
The agency, as per the sources, is also looking at some documents from Sonepat-based Ashoka University as Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta have been associated with the educational institution in the past.
The two had stepped down from all the boards and committees of the university in 2022, days after the CBI action.
The University said that the "Enforcement Directorate has sought information in the matter of investigations into the case of Parabolic Drugs where Ashoka University founders, Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta are directors."
"Ashoka University reiterates that Parabolic Drugs is in no way linked to Ashoka University. Ashoka University has no past or current relationship with Parabolic Drugs, the company being investigated, and any attempt to create a link is without any basis and misleading."
"Vineet and Pranav Gupta are two among the more than 200 founders and donors of Ashoka University, who have contributed to Ashoka's creation and growth in their personal philanthropic capacity and whose individual businesses have absolutely no bearing on the university," it said in a statement.
The CBI had booked the top executives of the company in December, 2021 for allegedly defrauding a consortium led by Central Bank of India of Rs 1626.74 crore. It had subsequently raided their premises also.
Besides the managing director Paranav Gupta, the CBI booked a number of company directors like Vineet Gupta, Deepali Gupta, Rama Gupta, Jagjit Singh Chahal, Sanjeev Kumar, Vandana Singla, Ishrat Gill, and its guarantors TN Goyal and Nirmal Bansal, and one J D Gupta.
According to CBI officials, the private company was engaged in manufacturing drugs and allegedly defrauded the consortium of banks through criminal conspiracy and forgery, and funnelled loans it took for other uses.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
