NEW DELHI: Noting that the trend of rich accused challenging the validity of law must stop, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea of a lawyer facing money laundering charges in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal challenging the validity of a provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“Just because I am rich, I will challenge the validity of the law... this practice must stop,” observed the two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Lawyer Gautam Khaitan has challenged Section 44(1)(c) of the (PMLA).
The Chief Justice of India, while declining to pass any order on Khaitan’s plea, said that the accused should face trial like any other ordinary citizen, instead of trying to bypass the entire system.