New Delhi Feb 21 PTI The Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet before a Mumbai court in connection with its money laundering probe linked to a Red Sanders smuggling caseThe charge sheet was filed in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA court in Mumbai on February 15 against four people including Badshah Majid Malik the alleged kingpin it said in a statementThe court took its cognisance of February 18 it saidMalik was arrested by the ED in December last year after the agency carried out raids at his premises in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane districtMalik and others had laundered the proceeds of crime generated by his illegal activities in the guise of share subscription premium in one company that had been incorporated by him and his associates The money so laundered was subsequently transferred to the accounts of the promoters of the company including Malik and was used for purchasing properties luxury cars and paying off loans the ED saidThe agency filed a money laundering case against the accused on the basis of a charge sheet filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence DRI against Malik and others in 2015 as part of a case relating to seizure of Red Sanders amounting to Rs 316 crore Subsequent investigations by DRI had established that Badshah Majid Malik was the kingpin of the syndicate involved in the smuggling of Red Sanders it saidRedSandersis listed in Appendix II of the CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and its export from India is restricted as per the countrys foreign trade policy PTI NES TDS TDS

New Delhi Dec 17 PTI A bill which seeks to conserve and protect wildlife through better management of protected areas and rationalise schedules which list out species under the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 was introduced in Lok Sabha on FridayThe Wild Life Protection Amendment Bill 2021 was introduced by Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav amid din created by the Opposition over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence issueAccording to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 was enacted to provide for the protection of wild animals birds and plants with a view to ensure the ecological and environmental security of the countryThe bill seeks to include the aspects of conservation and management of wildlife which are covered by the Act and make amendments for better management of protected areasIt proposes to rationalise and amend the schedules which list out wildlife species for the purposes of clarity and ensure better care of seized live animals and disposal of seized wildlife parts and productsThe Wildlife Act broadly has two classes of animals that is to say a species listed in Schedule I and Part II of Schedule II and b species listed in Part I of Schedule II Schedule III and Schedule IV based on which their protection and penalties for contravention differ according to the billSince the Act essentially has only these two levels of protection for animals the segregation of protected animals or species in four schedules may not be appropriate and may cause confusion and be difficult for the public to understand Therefore it is proposed to rationalise and amend the schedules it saidThe bill seeks to enable control of invasive alien species and allow for transfer or transport of live elephants by person having ownership certificates in accordance with conditions prescribed by the central governmentIt also proposes to insert a new Chapter VB in the principal Act for regulation of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora and allow state boards for wildlife to constitute standing committeesIndia is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which requires that appropriate measures are taken to enforce the provisions of the convention PTI AG ANB ANB

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], September 19 (ANI): An 11-year-old girl, Flora Asodia, suffering from a brain tumour, was made collector for a day on Saturday in Ahmedabad.

Chandigarh [India], September 11 (ANI): Chandigarh now has its first pollen calendar, which can identify potential allergy triggers and provide a clear understanding for clinicians as well as allergy sufferers about their causes to help limit their exposure during high pollen loads.

New Delhi [India], August 23 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to decide the representation made by the petitioner Gaurav Kumar Bansal, practising lawyer and activist sought the protection of biological diversity at Corbett National Park.