CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday issued notice to Associated Journal Limited (AJL) and others, including former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) petition against the stay on framing charges in connection with AJL plot allotment case.
ED has challenged Panchkula PMLA court special judge’s order of August 30, 2023 dismissing its application for vacation of stay.On April 19, 2022, Panchkula special court had stayed proceedings on grounds that in the present case, investigation was still in progress. ED wants resumption of proceedings for framing of charges under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
ED special public prosecutor (SPP) Arvind Moudgil argued, “Money laundering is a standalone offence and merely because there is a stay of proceedings in predicate offence, proceedings in a PMLA trial cannot be stayed on grounds that investigation in the predicate offence has not been completed.” Justice Vikas Bahl issued notice to all parties seeking responses by April 9. The case of allotment of a plot in Panchkula to AJL was transferred to CBI on Dec 22, 2016. The agency had on April 5, 2017 registered a case under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against the then HUDA chief administrator, then HUDA chairman, and financial commissioner, town and country planning department, AJL, and others. CBI had filed a chargesheet against AJL, Motilal Vora and Hooda.
ED has challenged Panchkula PMLA court special judge’s order of August 30, 2023 dismissing its application for vacation of stay.On April 19, 2022, Panchkula special court had stayed proceedings on grounds that in the present case, investigation was still in progress. ED wants resumption of proceedings for framing of charges under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
ED special public prosecutor (SPP) Arvind Moudgil argued, “Money laundering is a standalone offence and merely because there is a stay of proceedings in predicate offence, proceedings in a PMLA trial cannot be stayed on grounds that investigation in the predicate offence has not been completed.” Justice Vikas Bahl issued notice to all parties seeking responses by April 9. The case of allotment of a plot in Panchkula to AJL was transferred to CBI on Dec 22, 2016. The agency had on April 5, 2017 registered a case under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against the then HUDA chief administrator, then HUDA chairman, and financial commissioner, town and country planning department, AJL, and others. CBI had filed a chargesheet against AJL, Motilal Vora and Hooda.
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