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Sanjeev Arora (File photo)
NEW DELHI: A tribunal connected Sunday sent Punjab industries curate Sanjeev Arora to seven-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a time aft the cardinal bureau arrested him successful an alleged Rs 100-crore GST fraud-linked wealth laundering case.Judge Narender Sura of the Sessions-cum-special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) tribunal successful Gurugram observed that the allegations against Arora are “very serious” and that the cardinal bureau needs his custody to analyse and hint the alleged wealth trail.Appearing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, his lawyer alleged that a “false and frivolous” lawsuit had been “cooked up” against the curate and that nary prima facie grounds was collected by the investigating serviceman anterior to his arrest.However, the tribunal noted that the ED had a “good and capable reason” to question his custody and that it would beryllium “just and proper” to remand him for a week. The bureau had sought 10 days of custodial interrogation.Also read: Punjab industries curate successful money-laundering probe, AAP alleges 'intimidation'"Since the allegations against the accused are precise superior and the ED is seeking to decode the wealth trail, relation of the accused, vis-a-vis his persons/aides, who facilitated the offence of wealth laundering, truthful arsenic to get to cognize arsenic to however the accused persons were palmy successful generating proceeds of crime, successful sentiment of the court, a valid crushed exists for the applicant for custodial interrogation of the accused," justice Sura wrote successful his order.
"The ED is duty-bound to hint the money, uncover the modus operandi adopted by the accused for generating proceeds of transgression and its circulation from 1 root to another. In my considered opinion, the supra mentioned extremity tin beryllium achieved lone erstwhile the accidental is fixed to the applicant (ED) to interrogate the accused successful custody," the bid stated.The ED told the tribunal that its lawsuit pertained to Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL), a Gurugram-based institution successful which Arora was a manager and shareholder, on with different HSRL-linked entities.
It described Arora arsenic the “beneficial proprietor and controller” of the institution on with his household members.According to the ED, HSRL sold mobile phones worthy Rs 157.12 crore to respective home and overseas entities during the 2023–24 fiscal year. The bureau alleged that, arsenic the company’s CMD, Arora was liable for the behaviour of its business, which progressive illicit transactions.The ED further alleged that the company, successful connivance with its directors, employees and linked persons, utilized “a web of ammunition entities” to make “fake” acquisition invoices and amusement “bogus” income and exports.The bureau claimed that Arora was the “key person” progressive successful offences related to wealth laundering, including bogus billing, fraud, forgery and payments to ammunition entities.Punjab main curate Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal condemned the ED action, accusing the BJP-led Centre of utilizing investigative agencies arsenic “weapons” to “scare” absorption leaders into joining the party.(With PTI inputs)
