CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Wednesday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide complete and legible material in the “cash-for-transfers” racket case, saying the material supplied earlier was inadequate and ineligible to proceed with the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The police also asked the ED to depute an official familiar with the facts of the case to meet officials of the state police’s Bureau of Investigation (BoI) and provide the required material for further legal action in a fair, proper and time-bound manner.
The AIG (Investigation) of the Punjab Bureau of Investigation has written a letter to Akshay Kumar, Assistant Director, Directorate of Enforcement, Jalandhar Zonal Office, a copy of which is with the TNIE, stating that the reminder is issued in reference to the office communication forwarded to the Director General of Police, Punjab, under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The letter reads, “This office had intimated that the process of preliminary enquiry for examination, verification and assessment has been initiated for taking appropriate action in accordance with law on the aforesaid communication forwarded under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
“However, the material provided along with the aforesaid communication was inadequate and insufficient to proceed further in the matter as per law, as the contents thereof cannot be satisfactorily ascertained from the said material supplied along with the aforesaid communication. Therefore, the documents with complete particulars were required to proceed further in the matter to meet with the legal threshold and observance of standards of due diligence.”
The letter adds that on September 1, the duly authorised officer of the ED, well conversant with the record and facts of the case, was required to be present at this office at 11 AM at the Officers Lounge at Punjab Police Headquarters, along with the complete relevant record, including the complete file, together with the legible material on the basis of which the opinion regarding the alleged commission of cognisable offences was formed by the Directorate of Enforcement.
“However, no official from ED came, whereafter telephonic contact was established with the ED official on a given mobile phone number, who disclosed that they were occupied with some legal work at the court complex in district SAS Nagar, Mohali. He further informed that after finishing work at the aforesaid court complex, they would visit this office in about two hours. He also sought the location of this office, which was immediately made available to him on mobile phone,” the letter adds.
The letter further claims that at 12:48 PM, another official in the rank of Head Constable visited this office from the Directorate of Enforcement. Subsequently, he disclosed that he was unaware of the facts of the case. This office tried to establish contact with the other official on the given mobile phone number, but he neither took any call nor responded to the WhatsApp message sent on the mobile phone. After some time, the official who had visited this office left without informing anyone.
The letter concludes, “In view of the above, it is again requested that an official well conversant with the facts of the case may be deputed to visit this office on September 3 (Wednesday) along with the complete material, as mandated and inherent under Section 66(2) of PMLA, including the complete file, together with the legible material on the basis of which the opinion regarding the alleged commission of cognisable offences was formed by the Directorate of Enforcement.
“This is required to proceed further in a time-bound legal matter in a fair and proper manner.”