HC asks ED to respond to Satyendar Jain’s plea in money laundering case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) response on a plea by former Delhi minister Satyendar Kumar Jain challenging an order taking cognisance of a charge sheet against him and others in a money laundering case.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notice to the ED on Jain’s petition and asked it to file a status report within 15 days.
The court listed the matter for further hearing on August 22.
Jain has sought setting aside of a trial court’s July 29, 2022 order taking cognisance of ED’s charge sheet in the money laundering case.
He has also challenged the summons issued to him in the case and the subsequent orders remanding him in judicial custody, and sought his release from the jail.
The ED opposed the petition on grounds of maintainability and said while the trial court’s cognisance order was passed in July 2022, the AAP leader has challenged it now.
Besides Satyendar Jain, the ED had also filed the charge sheet against his wife Poonam Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Ankush Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain and Sunil Jain.
The charge sheet was also filed against four companies - Akinchan Developers Private Limited, Paryas Infosolutions Private Limited, Manglayatan Developers Private Limited, and JJ Ideal Estate Private Limited.
The ED initiated a money laundering investigation based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 24, 2017 under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI alleged that Satyendar Jain, while holding the office of a minister in the Delhi government, acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between February 14, 2015 and May 31, 2017.
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Karnataka launches India’s first digital grievance system for gig workers
Bengaluru: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Karnataka government has launched a digital grievance redressal system for gig workers to provide structured support and protection to platform-based workers.
According to The Hindu, the system, developed by the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers’ Board in collaboration with the Department of e-Governance, allows workers to file complaints through the Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (IPGRS).
Gig workers can raise issues related to pay, working conditions, and platform-specific disputes. Complaints will be routed to the Internal Dispute Resolution Committees (IDRCs) of respective platforms and are expected to be resolved within a defined timeframe. This is expected to bring transparency and legal recourse for a workforce that has so far operated without a formal dispute resolution framework.
Under The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act and Rules, every aggregator platform must constitute an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC). Platforms such as Namma Yatri and Yulu have already integrated their IDRC contact details with the government portal.
Around 12 lakh gig workers have been identified in the state, and a unique identification system is being developed to remove duplicate entries. Officials said welfare schemes are also being designed based on type of work, working hours, and contribution.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad said that Karnataka, technology capital of the country, is leveraging this potential for worker welfare as well. “By launching this system, we are ensuring that the gig economy is no longer an informal space, but a structured one where every worker’s voice is heard,” he said.
“The schemes will vary based on the type of platforms. For example, cab rides are mostly undertaken by men whereas urban domestic activity is undertaken mostly by women. It may also be based on the contribution made, and the quantum of gig work done by a gig worker. Some gig workers work for more than eight hours while some may work on a few gigs. So, work load, nature of work, and time period of work could vary,” TH quoted G. Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner and CEO of the Board as saying.
“It has to be scientifically structured based on their effort and labour. We are working with experts, including academicians from Briston University, King’s College, and IISc, and other stake holders, including board members,” he said.
Officials added that aggregator platforms will be required to contribute 1 per cent towards worker welfare, with implementation beginning July 5.
