CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice to the Enforcement Directorate to file reply to a petition seeking registration of a case for money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against BJP candidate Nainar Nagendran and Congress candidate C Robert Bruce, both seeking their mandate in Tirunevelveli Lok Sabha constituency, on the basis of cash seizure from the persons related to them.
A division bench of Justices MS Ramesh and Sunder Mohan directed the ED to file reply by April 24 and adjourned the matter to the same date.
The petition was filed by CM Raghavan, an independent candidate in the constituency. He said the government authorities have seized Rs 3.99 crore from the supporters of Nainar Nagendran during a search on a train at Tambaram in Chennai while Rs 28.50 lakh was seized from the office of the Tirunelveli East district secretary of DMK. Claiming that the cash was meant for distribution to the voters, he wanted the court to order registration of a case by the ED.
However, the counsel for the ED told the court the sections invoked by the police, 171 and 188 of IPC regarding the cash seizure, do not fall under the scheduled offences of PMLA; and so, there is no ground for registration of money laundering case. Yet, he said, he would submit the reply after getting instructions from the ED.
‘Sections won’t fall under PMLA offences’
The counsel for the ED told the court the sections invoked by the police regarding the cash seizure, do not fall under the scheduled offences of PMLA; and so, there is no ground for registration of money laundering case. Yet, he said, he would submit the reply after getting instructions from the ED