ED attaches fresh PACL assets worth over Rs 1,986 crore

Vartha Bharati | 26-01-2026 | 22:05:00 IST

Image Credit: PTI

New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has attached fresh properties worth over Rs 1,986 crore as part of its money laundering investigation against Chandigarh-based PACL (Pearls Group), accused of orchestrating a Rs 48,000 crore Ponzi scheme.

The latest action has taken the total value of assets attached so far in the case to Rs 7,589 crore.

In a statement, the agency said it has provisionally attached 37 immovable properties, located in Punjab's Ludhiana and Jaipur in Rajasthan, valued at Rs 1,986.48 crore, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A part of the alleged illicit funds generated from this fraud was used for the acquisition of these 37 assets, it said.

The ED probe stems from a CBI case against PACL Ltd, its late promoter Nirmal Singh Bhangoo and some others.

Bhangoo died in August 2024.

The accused entities and individuals of PACL operated an "illegal" collective investment scheme, fraudulently mobilising over Rs 60,000 crore from lakhs of investors across India under the guise of sale and development of agricultural land, as per the ED.

Investors were induced to invest through cash down payment and instalment payment plans and were made to sign "misleading" documents, including agreements, powers of attorney, and other instruments, it said.

"In the majority of cases, no land was ever delivered, and approximately Rs 48,000 crore remains unpaid to investors," the agency said.

Three charge sheets have been filed by the ED till now as part of this case registered in 2016.

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Tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub derogatory, communal: Delhi HC

08-04-2026 ¦ 08-04-2026 IST

New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday termed certain tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub "highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal" as it sought her stand on a petition seeking removal of the allegedly objectionable content from social media.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was hearing a lawyer's petition alleging that Ayyub's tweets insulted Hindu Deities and "revered historical figures", observed that even an FIR was also directed to be registered against her in relation to the tweets and called upon the Centre, Delhi Police and X to "work in tandem" and "do the needful in 24 hours".

"Let the matter be called day after. Action is necessary in view of the highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal tweets by respondent no. 4 (Ayyub), pursuant to which FIR has also been directed against respondent no. 4 by a court of competent jurisdiction," the court ordered.

Observing that the "matter requires consideration", the court issued notice to the Centre, Ayyub as well as X on the petition seeking the immediate removal of the "highly derogatory, inflammatory, and communal tweets" by Ayyub.

The court also made Delhi Police a party to the case.

Petitioner Amita Sachdeva said she is a devout follower of the Sanatan Dharm, and on her complaint, a magisterial court had already directed the registration of an FIR while holding that the journalist's tweets prima facie disclose cognisable offences under the Indian Penal Code.

The plea said the petitioner approached X's resident grievance officer as well as the Grievance Appellate Committee for the removal of the content.

However, the committee declined to grant relief, stating the matter was sub-judice, it added.

The petitioner said the continued public availability of the tweets has caused continuing and direct injury to her religious sentiments and violated her fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 21 (Right to life and liberty) and 25 (Freedom of religion) of the Constitution.

In January 2025, a magisterial court directed Delhi Police to register an FIR against Ayyub for allegedly making derogatory posts in 2016-17 that included "insults to Hindu deities, spreading of anti-India sentiment and incitement of religious disharmony."

In an order dated January 25, 2025, it said, "From the facts of the case, prima facie cognisable offences are made out under sections 153 A (punishment for promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 505 (statements conducing public mischief) of the IPC."