New Delhi, February 2025: The Supreme Court on Monday emphasized the necessity of establishing a mechanism for citizens to file complaints against misleading advertisements.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan highlighted the importance of the Drug and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, stating, “This Act is most vital.” The court stressed the need for compliance with its provisions and announced that it would revisit the issue on March 7.

Call for Stronger Enforcement

The bench also addressed the compliance status of Rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 in states like Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry. The Supreme Court had earlier, on August 27, 2024, put a stay on a Ministry of Ayush notification that omitted Rule 170, which prohibits misleading advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani drugs.

During Monday’s hearing, the bench criticized the Karnataka Government for its inaction on 25 cases of alleged misleading advertisements, citing a lack of material evidence. The court rebuked this stance, stating, “These are only excuses. The state has its own police machinery and cyber cell. Finding the sources of these advertisements is easy if there is a will to do so.” Karnataka has now been directed to submit a compliance report within a month.

Mixed Responses from States

Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing as amicus curiae, noted that Kerala had properly implemented Rule 170. However, several states, including Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, failed to take adequate action. On February 10, the Supreme Court summoned the chief secretaries of these states via video conferencing to explain their non-compliance.

Crackdown on Misleading Advertisements

In a significant move on May 7, 2024, the Apex Court directed that before any advertisement is issued, a self-declaration from advertisers—similar to the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994—must be obtained. The court’s strong stance stems from a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in 2022, which alleged a misinformation campaign by Patanjali and yoga guru Ramdev against Covid vaccinations and modern medicine.

The Supreme Court’s directives mark a decisive step towards curbing the spread of misleading medical advertisements and ensuring stricter enforcement of advertising regulations.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday announced the freezing of bank deposits worth over Rs 2 crore after conducting multi-state raids against an Indian national accused of illegally converting crypto assets worth Rs 600 crore through various Indian crypto exchanges.

Massive Crypto Conversion Scam Unearthed

The searches, conducted on February 20 in Delhi, Jaipur (Rajasthan), and Mumbai (Maharashtra), were executed under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

According to the ED, the case revolves around the illegal conversion of cryptocurrency worth Rs 600 crore, followed by the transfer of funds to unknown beneficiaries.

Key Accused: Chirag Tomar

The investigation was initiated based on a news report detailing that an Indian national, Chirag Tomar, had been sentenced to prison in the USA for stealing more than USD 20 million from victims using fake or spoofed websites mimicking the legitimate crypto exchange Coinbase.

Fraudulent Website Tactics

The probe revealed that fraudsters used Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to ensure that spoofed websites appeared at the top of search results. These fake websites looked identical to trusted sites, except for altered contact details.

When users attempted to log in, their credentials were rejected, prompting them to contact the fake customer support number listed on the spoofed website. The number connected victims to call centers managed by Tomar, where scammers obtained access to their accounts and stole crypto holdings.

How Stolen Crypto Was Laundered

• The stolen cryptocurrency was transferred to fraud-controlled wallets.
• The assets were sold on the website LocalBitcoins.com.
• The converted funds were transferred to Indian Rupees through Indian crypto exchanges.
• The money was eventually routed to Tomar’s and his family’s bank accounts.

Rs 15 Crore Identified, Rs 2.18 Crore Frozen

So far, Rs 15 crore received by Tomar and his family through this fraudulent scheme has been identified. During the raids, multiple bank accounts linked to the Tomar family were frozen, including deposits amounting to Rs 2.18 crore.

The ED also uncovered similar fraudulent modus operandi involving the sale of “doubtful” crypto on LocalBitcoins and its conversion to Indian Rupees through Indian crypto exchanges.

Ongoing Investigation

Authorities are now probing further into the network of exchanges and financial transactions involved in the scam. The ED is expected to intensify its investigation to trace additional laundered funds and identify all involved parties.

This case marks yet another high-profile cry****pto scam under investigation in India, emphasizing the urgent need for tighter regulations o******n digital currency transactions**.

New Delhi, February 2025: A 20-year-old woman was arrested at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly smuggling narcotics worth over Rs 11 crore, concealed inside cookie and rice packets, the Customs Department announced on Monday.

The accused was intercepted upon her arrival from Bangkok on February 21.

“During the examination of a black trolley bag, officials discovered eight cookie and rice packets containing a green-coloured narcotic substance, suspected to be ganja or marijuana, with a total net weight of 11,284 grams,” the Customs Department stated.

A diagnostic test conducted on the seized substance confirmed it to be ganja or marijuana, with an estimated illicit market value of Rs 11.28 crore.

The arrested woman, a resident of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was taken into custody, and the narcotics were seized, a Customs official confirmed.

New Delhi, February 2025: The Supreme Court of India on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking regulation of Internet prices in the country.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar dismissed the plea filed by Rajat, stating that consumers had multiple options for availing Internet services.

“It’s a free market. There are several options. BSNL and MTNL are also giving you Internet,” the bench observed.

The petitioner alleged that the majority of the market share was controlled by Jio and Reliance, raising concerns about monopolistic practices.

The bench responded by stating,

“If you are alleging cartelisation, then go to the Competition Commission of India.”

However, the top court clarified that if the petitioner wished to seek recourse through appropriate statutory remedies, he was at liberty to do so.