Indian journalist Swati Chaturvedi wins Press Freedom Award for Courage in UK
London, Nov 9: An Indian freelance journalist, who has been the target of online trolling and harassment for her investigative reports, has bagged the 2018 London Press Freedom Award for Courage.
Swati Chaturvedi, author of the book 'I am a Troll: Inside the Secret World of the BJP's Digital Army', beat shortlisted journalists from Italy, Turkey and Morocco for her work in exposing the "IT cell" within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for keeping an army of angry trolls.
"This means a lot. But I think it is very sad that you have to win an award for courage just for doing your job," Chaturvedi said at the first award ceremony organised by the UK chapter of Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) or Reporters Without Borders in London on Thursday evening.
"The US President (Donald Trump) saying we are the enemy of state; in India last year journalist Gauri Lankesh being gunned down outside her house; it is very frightening. There is something clearly very wrong," she said.
"I don't think journalists have stopped what they are doing, but the governments across the world have become very intolerant of any criticism or scrutiny."
The columnist for print and broadcast media in India commended the work of organisations like the RSF, a non-profit organisation that works to document and combat attacks on journalists around the world.
Chaturvedi added: "I get a lot of online threats but if I let that affect me, I won't be able to do my job. It is heartening to see RSF speaking up for journalists because we have become an attacked, endangered species. At least there is someone advocating the rights of journalists."
"I think it is scary to be a journalist in today's world, especially if you are doing investigative journalism. But at the same time, it is very necessary," she said.
Chaturvedi was among four worldwide winners at the awards held at Getty Images Gallery in London.
"Recognising great journalism is important, not least because it sends a message of solidarity, proving that there is an international community will stand up for the free media no matter where it is threatened, or by whom," said RSF UK Bureau Director Rebecca Vincent.
The ceremony highlighted the importance of press freedom and safety of journalists, especially in the wake of the killing of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul last month.
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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.
