Mumbai: A special court on Monday cleared the path for the extradition of a Ukrainian national from Moldova in the Rs 177-crore money laundering case linked to the Torres Jewellers ponzi scheme.Olena Stoian, an absconding accused, was traced to Moldova by Indian authorities. ED moved a plea for affirmation of an affidavit required for the extradition process, which the court allowed. “Application allowed. Extradition documents counter-signed and handed over to the officer of ED,” said special judge R B Rote. The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against Stoian, Indian national Sagar Mehta and two other Ukrainian nationals, Oleksandr Zapichenko and Viktoria Kovalenko. Zapichenko and Stoian were identified as the principal designers of financial structuring and money laundering operations, providing initial funds through unlawful channels and enabling the conversion of undocumented cash into apparently legitimate investments. Torres allegedly conducted a fraudulent operation, marketing synthetic moissanite as precious gems with unrealistic return guarantees. Its strategy included misleading advertisements, artificial bonuses and a referral system typical of ponzi schemes. “[It] is a serious economic offence, affecting the socio-economic condition of society… and many investors have suffered loss because of the act of the accused,” the judge had said when issuing the NBWs. The judge had said the accused were involved in a serious non-bailable offence of money laundering and were evading arrest. “Therefore, in the interest of proper and effective investigation and trial into the serious economic offence, it is necessary to issue a non-bailable warrant.” The court earlier issued a process against all four accused and summoned them. However, they did not appear before it. ED had said the accused have been absconding since the commission of the offence and have failed to cooperate with the investigation or respond to summons. Mehta is alleged to have fled India on Dec 28, 2024, and is accused of assisting in collecting the proceeds of crime. He is currently believed to be holed up in Dubai. Zapichenko is described as one of the “key architects” in the laundering operations of the parent company, Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, involved in providing illicit capital, converting unaccounted cash into cryptocurrency and reintroducing it as a legitimate investment. He allegedly assisted in laundering about Rs 177 crore collected from customers of Torres’s Dadar showroom through false promises. Zapichenko’s departure on the eve of FIR registration was cited as an attempt to evade the law. Kovalenko is Platinum Hern’s foreign director, holding 99.9% shares and exercising full control over the firm’s operations and finances, establishing direct accountability. She is also alleged to have knowingly assisted in laundering the Rs 177 crore.

Mumbai: Bombay high court on Monday directed the BMC to permit 99,435 hawkers across Mumbai, already found to be eligible, to hawk and to list others who are eligible from the balance 29,000. “No other hawkers” apart from these can be permitted, ruled Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata, while also directing Mumbai civic administration and Mumbai police to verify identities of all persons, including those alleged to be Bangladeshis or other foreign nationals, who are hawking or work as helpers at stalls and to initiate legal steps to repatriate those found to be illegal immigrants.As reported, 3,26,604 hawkers are operating in the city, leading to widespread congestion and civic disorder, the HC said. The HC judgment said: “Viewed from a broader perspective, it is imperative that the statutory scheme be brought to its logical conclusion. Nearly 12 years have elapsed since the enactment of the Street Vendors Act… Any further delay in implementation of the Act would prove detrimental to hawkers and citizens alike. Citizens continue to endure persistent and daily hardship due to its non-implementation.”The HC also directed the BMC to undertake a comprehensive inspection and scrutiny of all temporary stalls, mobile or stationary, and all permanent stalls, whether on roads or footpaths, and check if they obstruct vehicular movement or pedestrians in the city.The HC, calling for action against those found to be illegal immigrants, said any failure to act would result in “personal liability” on all civic and other officers responsible.In 2014, the Street Vendors Act was enacted to regulate hawking. The law mandated formation of a town vending committee (TVC) for the Act’s smooth functioning, including a survey. The TVC would also comprise vendors to be elected.The petitions before the HC by hawkers’ unions dealt with several issues concerning illegal hawkers operating in Mumbai and the voters list prepared for the TVC polls. The HC is also separately hearing a pending suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) of 2023 to deal with and monitor state, police and civic action following various complaints of the risk that hawkers pose to the city, where the HC appointed advocate Jamshed Mistry as an amicus curiae (friend of court) to assist in the matter. In its judgment, the HC upheld as valid a voters list of eligible hawkers for polls held on Aug 29, 2024, for TVC in Mumbai.The hawkers’ association had questioned the voters list as being incomplete and in violation of a 2009 policy, but the HC held it was prepared in compliance with procedures and orders of the court. The HC directed results of the 2024 polls be announced immediately.Petitions were filed in 2024 also by Janwadi Hawkers Sabha, Hawkers Joint Action Committee, which wanted all surveyed street vendors to be included in the voters list. The HC said the elections were held validly and merited no judicial interference.State govt pleader Purnima Kantharia said despite the process taking three years, 280 TVCs stand notified across Maharashtra, with Nagpur having emerged as a pioneer in effective implementation of the hawking scheme. The SC had stayed TVC poll results. The HC declined a stay on its order, observing the long litigation already delayed implementation of the Act.

Mumbai: Drawing a clear line ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the BJP has directed its just one-month-old corporators in Mumbai to scrutinise voter rolls at the micro level and ensure none of its supporters is left out, signalling an aggressive build-up to the exercise. A meeting was held at the BMC headquarters on Monday afternoon to discuss the matter, which was addressed by former MP Kirit Somaiya.Somaiya, who has been appointed by the state unit as chairman of a nine-member committee to oversee the SIR, briefed corporators on their role in closely scrutinising voter lists at the ward level, ensuring inclusion of all eligible voters and flagging discrepancies.According to the corporators present, the session focused on the mechanics of the SIR process and the party’s role in it. “We were told to closely scrutinise the lists, ensure all genuine voters are included, and raise objections wherever required or in case we notice that someone is not eligible to be added to the list,” a corporator said, adding that party workers would also reach out to residents in housing societies, especially the secretary and chairman, to facilitate corrections and registrations.The BJP, which has the largest number of elected corporators in the civic house, has been actively raising concerns over alleged illegalities in the issuance of birth certificates since coming to power. Party leaders, including Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde of the BJP and Somaiya, have flagged issues such as the alleged issuance of birth certificates to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, which they claim could enable them to obtain legal status. They have also raised concerns over the growing presence of unauthorised hawkers occupying public spaces across the city.Party leaders said the exercise, conducted by the Election Commission of India, is being treated with urgency, with instructions to engage with residents, facilitate corrections and registrations, and strengthen booth-level coordination. BJP party leader in BMC Ganesh Khankar said the organisation has been fully mobilised under Somaiya’s leadership. “We are taking this very seriously. We were thoroughly explained how we, as corporators, can participate in this activity,” he said.The SIR, a comprehensive door-to-door verification of electoral rolls, aims to remove duplicate, deceased or shifted voters while adding missing eligible names, making it a critical process ahead of upcoming elections.