The Congress on Tuesday responded to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) choice to connect property belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI) in its cash laundering probe into the affairs of Congress-run National Herald newspaper.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi mentioned that the choice displays “ED’s desperation to divert consideration from sure defeat within the ongoing elections in every state”.
“PMLA motion can solely be consequential to some predicate or fundamental offence,” he mentioned. “There is not any switch of any immovable property. There is not any motion of cash. There aren’t any proceeds of crime. Indeed, there isn’t any complainant who claims to have been cheated: not a single one!!”
He claimed that the step is a “prefabricated construction of deceit, lies and falsehood” by the BJP “to divert, distract and digress” in the midst of the elections.
“No BJP coalition associate – CBI, ED or IT – can forestall sure impending defeat of the BJP. An task of mortgage with out switch of any immovable property or motion of cash is being dressed as much as justify the attachment and freezing of property of an organization which runs an iconic voice of the Indian independence motion – the National Herald – solely as a result of it’s linked to the Congress occasion and its legacy,” Singhvi wrote.
He additional added: “These petty vendetta ways shall not frighten the Indian National Congress in any means.”
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has connected property value ₹751 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI).
While immovable properties value ₹661 crore belonging to AJL have been connected in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow, YI’s proceeds of crime have been connected within the type of fairness shares.
“Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued an order to provisionally connect properties value ₹751.9 crore in a money-laundering case investigated underneath the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime within the type of immovable properties unfold throughout many cities of India resembling Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs. 661.69 crore and M/s. Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 Crore within the type of funding in fairness shares of AJL,” the ED mentioned in its assertion.
The company initiated money-laundering investigation towards National Herald on the premise of course of issued by the courtroom of Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi after taking cognisance of a personal grievance vide order dated June 26, 2014.
In its assertion on Tuesday, the ED mentioned that courtroom held that seven accused individuals together with M/s Young India, prima facie dedicated offences of felony breach of belief u/s 406 of Indian Penal Code, dishonest and dishonestly inducing supply of property underneath part 420 (dishonest) of IPC, dishonest misappropriation of property u/s 403 and felony conspiracy u/s 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
