Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Active agent: On Nawab Malik arrest

Active agent: On Nawab Malik arrest

The use of PMLA against Nawab Malik requires strict judicial scrutiny (जांच, सावधानीपूर्वक परीक्षा, निरीक्षण)

Maharashtra’s Minister of Minority Affairs and Skill Development and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik is the second Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance (गठबंधन, संघ, साझेदारी) to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) (प्रवर्तन निदेशालय). The case against Mr. Malik pertains to (concern, relate to, be connected with) a transaction in 1999 in which a property was sold to one of the companies belonging to (के संबंधित, का सदस्य होना, संबद्ध होना) him for a price ostensibly (प्रकट रूप से, देखने में) much lower than its actual worth. The Additional Solicitor General (the second-highest rank for a law officer of the government) alleged that there was enough evidence to make a case (to argue for something; to defend an opinion) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED has also alleged (आरोप, राज्य, पुष्टि, दावा) that the property sale was done by an individual, Salim Patel, an associate (सहयोगी, साथी, मित्र) for Dawood Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar, since deceased (dead, expired, passed away). Mr. Malik’s advocate has argued that the power of attorney (a legal document giving an attorney-in-charge or legal agent the authority to act on behalf of the principal and to make decisions about another person’s property, finances, or etc) for the property sale was made in 1999, much before the PMLA came into force and that there is no retrospective (पूर्वव्यापी, पूर्वप्रभावी, पिछले दिनांकित) action in criminal law (a complex system of laws concerned with punishment of individuals who commit crimes). It should be noted that Mr. Malik has been vocal (vociferous, outspoken, forthright; vehement, vigorous, emphatic, insistent, forceful) in his criticism of agencies (the central agencies are organizations in the executive branch that co-ordinate the activities of, and provide guidance to the operating ministries and agencies; e.g. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Income Tax Department (IT) and etc) such as the Narcotics Control Bureau (the nodal agency on the matter of drug law enforcement in India. Established in 1986, the Narcotics Control Bureau operates as a central government agency that is responsible for coordination with other central departments and the states, and oversees implementation of India’s international obligations to combat drug trafficking besides assisting foreign drug law enforcement agencies) and the way they have conducted investigations against individuals in Mumbai. Unlike the case with former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who resigned after his arrest last year, the NCP and its chief Sharad Pawar have ruled out (खारिज करना, अस्वीकार करना) Mr. Malik’s resignation alleging that this is an attempt by the BJP to destabilise (अस्थिर करना, कमज़ोर करना, ख़राब करना, क्षति पहुँचाना) the MVA government. It is for the courts to find if there is merit (योग्यता, मजबूत बिंदु) in the ED’s case against Mr. Malik. It has to do so quickly, as this has become yet another political slugfest (tough contest; challenging contest) between the ruling (सत्तारूढ़, फ़ैसला) coalition (गठबंधन, संघ, साझेदारी) and the BJP.

But there have been several instances where the PMLA has been used by the government at the Centre as a weapon (हथियार, अस्त्र) to target politicians from the opposition, their relatives, and activists (a person who supports a political or societal change/cause) recently. The PMLA was enacted (make law, pass, approve, ratify) in 2002 in line with (in alignment with, in accordance with, conforming to) India’s global commitment (vow, promise, pledge, undertaking) to combat (fight, resist, defy, oppose, counter) money laundering (a secret act of moving illegally acquired funds into legal bank accounts or investments), particularly related to crimes involving drugs and narcotics. But as petitions filed in the Supreme Court against the draconian use of the Act have pointed out (identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to, the ED conducted 1,700 raids and investigations in 1,569 cases in the last decade (2011-20) but could obtain convictions (pronouncement of guilt, sentence, judgement) in only nine cases. This suggests (indicate, point to, demonstrate, show) that the agency is using the offences (crime, illegal act, unlawful act, breach, violation of the law) scheduled (list, plan, arrange, organize) in the PMLA in an overbroad (too much, extreme. (“go overboard” means to do something too much or to go to extremes)) sense without limiting itself to the chief purpose of the Act. Meanwhile, as the petitioners in the case against the PMLA’s use have argued in the Supreme Court, taking recourse to the Act should not be “arbitrary (discretionary, personal, unmotivated, unreasonable, unsupported, irrational, illogical, groundless, unjustified; authoritarian, draconian, anti-democratic), vague (imprecise, inexact, unclear/uncertain) and fanciful” and the Court must weigh in (to have influence (in a decision/discussion/plan/argument/activity); be important to, carry weight, make an impression on, make a contribution to) whether the near blanket (total, complete, overall, general) powers given to the ED for search, seizure (confiscation, impounding, commandeering, appropriation, expropriation, sequestration) and attachment of assets in several cases are justifiable.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.scrutiny (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जांच, सावधानीपूर्वक परीक्षा, निरीक्षण
English Meaning - careful examination, inspection, investigation, inquiry, analysis.

2.alliance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गठबंधन, संघ, साझेदारी
English Meaning - association, union, partnership.

3.Enforcement Directorate (ED) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवर्तन निदेशालय
English Meaning - Directorate of Enforcement is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It was established in the year 1956 with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is responsible for enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) (Civil Law) and certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) (Criminal Law).

4.belong to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - के संबंधित, का सदस्य होना, संबद्ध होना
English Meaning - be a member of, be affiliated to, be associated with, be connected to, be linked to.

5.ostensibly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकट रूप से, देखने में
English Meaning - in a way that something appears or is officially stated to be true/real, but it might not be; apparently, seemingly, allegedly, professedly, supposedly, purportedly.

6.allege (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, राज्य, पुष्टि, दावा
English Meaning - state, affirm, claim, indicate; charge, accuse (without proof).

7.associate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहयोगी, साथी, मित्र
English Meaning - partner, friend, ally, supporter, contact.

8.come into force (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - लागू होना, प्रभाव में आना, सक्रिय होना
English Meaning - come into effect, become operative, be effective (a new law, rule, change, etc.).

9.retrospective (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्वव्यापी, पूर्वप्रभावी, पिछले दिनांकित
English Meaning - backdated, retroactive, backward-looking.

10.rule out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - खारिज करना, अस्वीकार करना
English Meaning - reject, dismiss, disregard.

11.destabilise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अस्थिर करना, कमज़ोर करना, ख़राब करना, क्षति पहुँचाना
English Meaning - undermine, weaken, impair, damage, subvert, sabotage.

12.merit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - योग्यता, मजबूत बिंदु
English Meaning - good point, strong point.

13.ruling (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सत्तारूढ़, फ़ैसला
English Meaning - judgment, adjudication, verdict.

14.coalition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गठबंधन, संघ, साझेदारी
English Meaning - alliance, union, partnership.

15.weapon (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हथियार, अस्त्र
English Meaning - a method of gaining an advantage.

16.pertain to (verb)

English Meaning - concern, relate to, be connected with.

17.Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 (noun)

English Meaning - It is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted by the NDA government to prevent money-laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from money-laundering.

18.Attorney General (noun)

English Meaning - chief legal advisor; the highest rank for a law officer of the government.

19.Solicitor-General (noun)

English Meaning - the second-highest rank for a law officer of the government.

20.Additional Solicitor-General (noun)

English Meaning - the third-highest rank for a law officer of the government.

21.make a case (phrase)

English Meaning - to argue for something; to defend an opinion.

22.deceased (adjective)

English Meaning - dead, expired, passed away.

23.power of attorney (noun)

English Meaning - a legal document giving an attorney-in-charge or legal agent the authority to act on behalf of the principal and to make decisions about another person’s property, finances, or etc.

24.criminal law (noun)

English Meaning - a complex system of laws concerned with punishment of individuals who commit crimes.

25.vocal (adjective)

English Meaning - vociferous, outspoken, forthright; vehement, vigorous, emphatic, insistent, forceful.

26.(central) agencies (plural noun)

English Meaning - the central agencies are organizations in the executive branch that co-ordinate the activities of, and provide guidance to the operating ministries and agencies; e.g. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Income Tax Department (IT) and etc.

27.Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) (noun)

English Meaning - the nodal agency on the matter of drug law enforcement in India. Established in 1986, the Narcotics Control Bureau operates as a central government agency that is responsible for coordination with other central departments and the states, and oversees implementation of India’s international obligations to combat drug trafficking besides assisting foreign drug law enforcement agencies.

28.narcotics (noun)

English Meaning - addictive drugs, illegal drugs.

29.merits (noun)

English Meaning - an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects).

30.slugfest (noun)

English Meaning - tough contest; challenging contest.

31.activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who supports a political or societal change/cause.

32.enact (verb)

English Meaning - make law, pass, approve, ratify.

33.in line with (phrase)

English Meaning - in alignment with, in accordance with, conforming to.

34.commitment (noun)

English Meaning - vow, promise, pledge, undertaking.

35.combat (verb)

English Meaning - fight, resist, defy, oppose, counter.

36.money laundering (noun)

English Meaning - a secret act of moving illegally acquired funds into legal bank accounts or investments.

37.draconian (adjective)

English Meaning - (of laws or punishments) extremely harsh, severe, strict, stringent, brutal; authoritarian, despotic, tyrannical, arbitrary, oppressive.

38.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.

39.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

40.conviction (noun)

English Meaning - pronouncement of guilt, sentence, judgement.

41.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point to, demonstrate, show.

42.offence (noun)

English Meaning - crime, illegal act, unlawful act, breach, violation of the law.

43.schedule (verb)

English Meaning - list, plan, arrange, organize.

44.overbroad (adjective)

English Meaning - too much, extreme. (“go overboard” means to do something too much or to go to extremes).

45.have/take recourse to (phrase)

English Meaning - resort to, make use of, use, utilize, employ, turn to.

46.arbitrary (adjective)

English Meaning - discretionary, personal, unmotivated, unreasonable, unsupported, irrational, illogical, groundless, unjustified; authoritarian, draconian, anti-democratic.

47.vague (adjective)

English Meaning - imprecise, inexact, unclear/uncertain.

48.fanciful (adjective)

English Meaning - impractical, impracticable, unworkable, unfeasible, non-viable.

49.weigh in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to have influence (in a decision/discussion/plan/argument/activity); be important to, carry weight, make an impression on, make a contribution to.

50.blanket (adjective)

English Meaning - total, complete, overall, general.

51.seizure (noun)

English Meaning - confiscation, impounding, commandeering, appropriation, expropriation, sequestration.