Lekha G –
RJD MP Amarendra Dhari Singh has moved the Delhi High Court challenging his 10-day Enforcement Directorate remand in fertilizer scam case.
Mr Singh arrested on June 2 under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Later, Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh had dismissed the plea to place him under house arrest saying his custody was necessary for “Fair investigation”.
The Court noted that, “Cases under PMLA are indeed serious economic offences and in case an accused does not cooperate and evades giving replies, it gives rise to a reasonable apprehension that fair investigation cannot be conducted and the evidence can be tampered with, justifying arrest.”
It further granted him access to home-cooked food, water, necessary medical equipment and medicines. The Special Judge directed Mr. Singh to be examined every 48 hours according to the Covid-19 protocols.
The case is based on two complaints by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers stating that IFFCO managing director US Awasthi and IPL managing director PS Gahlaut imported fertilizers at highly inflated rated from 2007 to 2014 as a part of a “Criminal conspiracy” to claim higher subsidies.
CBI in its FIR mentioned that, “They allegedly siphoned off the commission through a complex web of fake commercial transactions through multiple companies registered outside India (beneficially owned by the accused persons) to camouflage the fraudulent transactions as genuine.”
The involvement of Agusta Westland case accused and charted accountant Rajiv Saxena, Jyoti Trading Corporation and Rare Earth Group owner Pankaj Jain, his brother Sanjay Jain and RJD parliamentarian AD Singh in this scam was also alleged.
