Author: Rasmita Jena

On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in India searched the home of Simran Preet Panesar in Mohali. He is a major suspect in Canada’s biggest gold theft, which happened last year. This raid comes just two days after the ED opened a money laundering investigation linked to the crime that took place outside India.

An ED official said, “Our team is looking into Panesar’s home as part of our investigation. He will also be questioned.”

A report revealed that the ED started this investigation following a section of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This law allows them to handle cases that cross international borders, like crimes committed by Indians in other countries.

The agency filed a report about a theft worth 22.5 million Canadian dollars (CAD) that took place at Toronto Pearson International Airport in April 2023. Officers are checking if any of the stolen gold or money came to India.

Here’s what happened: On April 17, 2023, a cargo container filled with gold bars was stolen using fake documents from a secure storage area. The stolen goods included 6,600 gold bars, weighing a total of 400 kg, and cash worth 2.5 million CAD. The gold bars were brought from Switzerland and were supposed to go to a bank in Toronto.

After the airplane landed, the cargo was taken to a different spot at the airport, and soon after, it was reported missing. The Peel Regional Police (PRP) in Canada called this the largest gold heist in the country’s history. They charged Panesar and eight others in April 2024 and issued an arrest warrant for him. Panesar and another suspect, Parampal Sidhu, worked at the airport’s warehouse.

The PRP said that after the heist, Panesar even showed police officers around the warehouse! While Sidhu was arrested in May 2024, Panesar disappeared. Canadian authorities are still trying to find the stolen gold, and so far, they have recovered only 90,000 CAD out of the total stolen.

Kerala is gearing up for the “Invest Kerala Global Summit” (IGIS) and state industries minister P Rajeev shared exciting updates. The summit is different this year because it follows 50 events where discussions were held with investors across all districts. They listened to what investors wanted and made necessary changes to the rules to encourage businesses to come to Kerala.

This year, Kerala’s motto is “nature, people, industry,” emphasizing responsible investments in 22 important sectors. They held special events focusing on technology like AI, robotics, and smart farming, and traveled to cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and even Dubai to promote Kerala as an investment destination.

Unlike previous years, where investment promises were often unrealistic, this time they aim for more realistic goals with clearer plans. Rajeev highlighted that Kerala has improved its position in the ease of doing business, now ranking number one, a significant shift from 28th place before.

Regarding the Vizhinjam port, which is a key project, Rajeev believes it will attract many investors. The port is located close to major international shipping routes and does not require much digging, making it an attractive option for shipping companies.

He also mentioned other developments like the Palakkad industrial smart city, which is part of a major project to connect Kochi and Bengaluru. The government is welcoming investments in tech sectors instead of traditional manufacturing which can harm the environment.

Rajeev recently attended the World Economic Forum in Davos to meet potential investors and showcase Kerala’s projects, including the Green Hydrogen Valley.

Despite political differences, the opposition parties are also planning to attend the summit, showing a united front for the state’s growth. Rajeev believes Kerala is evolving and will soon stand out as a top destination for industries focused on technology and sustainability.

The Karnataka Lokayukta—a special ombudsman—submitted a huge report with 11,000 pages to a court in Bengaluru regarding the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land case. This happened just a day after police cleared Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi of any wrongdoing. Police said there was not enough proof to charge them.

The police, led by Superintendent Udesh, shared 27 volumes of documents with a court that handles cases involving lawmakers. They assured the public that the investigation is ongoing and the documents are important for the inquiry.

Recently, it was reported that the Lokayukta was likely to absolve Siddaramaiah and Parvathi from all accusations. On Wednesday, Lokayukta Police closed the case, stating no evidence was found to support the allegations made against the chief minister, his wife, and two others.

The case began when an activist named Snehamayi Krishna raised concerns about land allocated by MUDA. The report noted that the accusations were either misunderstandings of the law or simply not proven enough to take further legal action. Krishna was informed that if he disagrees with the findings, he can challenge them in court.

The land in question was a three-acre plot that Siddaramaiah claimed was given to his wife in 1998. In 2014, MUDA acquired this land for development without proper permissions, and Parvathi later applied for compensation. She ended up getting 14 residential plots worth over ₹8 crore, making people suspicious that this somewhat unfairly benefited their family.

In September 2024, the Karnataka High Court allowed Lokayukta to investigate the land allotment. On November 5, the court directed the Lokayukta Police to present a status report on Krishna’s claims for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. However, on February 7, the court decided that the Lokayukta Police would continue the investigation.

Some skepticism arose from the opposition party, BJP, who questioned the fairness of the inquiry, suggesting it should be handed over to the CBI. Senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi stated they could not trust the investigation since the same police officers were appointed by Siddaramaiah.

On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar supported the Lokayukta’s report, saying that the allegations were politically motivated and Siddaramaiah was innocent. He emphasized that the Lokayukta is an independent body that operates without influence from the Chief Minister.