Delhi Excise policy: Rouse Avenue court imposed cost on company for non-appearance in money laundering case

SPP for ED submitted before special judge M. K. Nagpal that a hard disc containing a charge sheet and documents has been supplied to the counsel of Manish Sisodia and one of the accused.

The Rouse Avenue court on Friday imposed a cost on a company accused of money laundering for non-appearance. No one appeared for the company despite calls. The Special Public Prosecutor for ED submitted before special judge M. K. Nagpal that a hard disc containing a charge sheet and documents has been supplied to the counsel of Manish Sisodia and one of the accused.

The court asked his counsel whether the details of the new bank account had been supplied to the IO. His counsel sought time to supply a copy of the details of the new bank account to the IO.

The next date is November 21. Applications seek the supply of some missing and illegible documents from the charge sheet.

The special public prosecutor (SPP) for ED Naveen Matta sought time to file a reply. However, it was submitted to supply the CD of documents. The same shall be supplied in a day or two.

Earlier, the court had granted permission to former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to sign some documents in relation to the opening of a new bank account. His previous bank account has been attached by the ED in relation to the money laundering case under the Delhi excise policy. Special public prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta had urged the court that the details of the new bank account be provided to the agency.

The ED had alleged that proceeds of crime of around Rs 622 crore have been generated due to the activities of the present accused, Manish Sisodia. Sisodia was arrested by the ED in this case on March 9. Earlier, he was arrested by the CBI on February 26. He is the 29th accused arrested in this case.

While dismissing his bail, Rouse Avenue Court stated that "this case of economic offences has serious repercussions upon the general public and society at large, as the evidence collected during the investigation speaks volumes about his involvement in the commission of the said offence." The court also noted that some evidence is alleged to have surfaced during the investigation to show that some part of the kickback or bribe amount received from South Lobby was spent or utilised in connection with the election campaign of the AAP in Goa, and some cash payments through hawala channels are alleged to have been sent to Goa for bearing the said expenses, and even some fake invoices are alleged to have been created as a cover-up for the cash amounts transferred through hawala channels.

It was stated that the above cash transfers were made as per the instructions of the co-accused, Vijay Nair, who was the representative of the applicant and the AAP, and also the media in charge of the AAP, looking after the work related to said elections. He also roped in a company named Chariot Productions Media Pvt. Ltd., owned by the co-accused, Rajesh Joshi, to do the election-related advertising work and other jobs for the party during said elections, noted the court. Thus, in view of the above background, the serious nature of the allegations made and the role played by the applicant in the above criminal conspiracy, his connection with the activities relating to the generation or acquisition and use etc. of the above proceeds of crime within the meaning of Section 3 of the PMLA and the oral and documentary evidence collected in support of the same and as placed for the perusal of the court, this court is of the considered opinion that even if the rigours and restrictions contained U/S 45 of the PMLA are viewed and construed reasonably, the prosecution has still been able to show a genuine and prima facie case for the involvement of the applicant in the commission of the alleged offence of money laundering.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in its ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). (ANI)

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