Haryana minister Anil Vij threatens fast unto death over officials 'not complying with his orders'
Ambala, Jan 30 (PTI): Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over officials not complying with his orders and said that, for the sake of his Ambala Cantt constituents, he is prepared to go on a fast unto death like farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
The 71-year-old senior BJP leader, a seven-time MLA from Ambala Cantt, told reporters here that he has stopped holding "Janta Darbar" in Ambala, which he used to conduct every Monday.
"I may not attend grievances redressal committee meetings either because my orders are not being implemented by the officials," Vij said.
"(Baki Haryana ka toh mujhe kuchh nahi lena…) I have nothing to do with the rest of Haryana, but the people of Ambala Cantt have elected me MLA seven times. For their work, even if I have to hold an agitation, I will do that. And if I have to go on a fast unto death like (farmer leader Jagjit) Dallewal, I will do that," Vij, the Transport and Energy Minister, said.
This is not the first time that Vij has expressed his displeasure with officials. In October, he had voiced frustration over the "absence" of some senior officers at a meeting he had called in Ambala.
Previously, Vij had often been at odds with Manohar Lal Khattar when he was Haryana's Chief Minister. Khattar is currently serving as a Union Minister.
When the BJP first came to power in Haryana in 2014, Vij, along with other BJP leaders like Ram Bilas Sharma, was considered a frontrunner for the CM's post. However, the party chose Manohar Lal Khattar, a first-time MLA at the time, as its CM candidate.
In March 2024, Vij expressed dissatisfaction with the BJP for not consulting him when the party decided to replace Khattar as chief minister and bring in Nayab Singh Saini instead.
Vij claimed he only learned about the change during a BJP MLAs' meeting in Chandigarh when Saini's name was announced.
In September 2024, just days before the Assembly elections, Vij stated that he would stake a claim for the chief minister's post if the party won.
"When Nayab Saini replaced Khattar, people asked, 'Why not Anil Vij?' Many from the state and my constituency met me regarding this…. I have always obeyed my party's orders, but I said, if the party makes me CM, I will change Haryana's 'takdeer and tasveer,'" Vij had said in September.
Vij had recently said that Mohan Lal Badoli, who was booked in a gang-rape case, should resign from the post of state BJP chief to maintain the "sanctity" of the party until he is proven innocent in an investigation by the Himachal Pradesh police.
Haryana BJP chief Badoli and singer Rocky Mittal have been booked after a woman alleged that she was raped by them in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. Police have registered an FIR against them.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
