HC refuses to direct ED to interrogate PFI members in Kerala in money laundering case
New Delhi(PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to direct the ED to record in Kerala statements of Popular Front of India (PFI) members in a money laundering case, saying a court cannot dictate the mode and manner of an investigation.
Hearing a plea against summons issued to three PFI members to appear before the ED in Delhi, Justice Anu Malhotra said if there were any restrictions on the persons travelling to the national capital on account of the pandemic, the central agency would conduct the interrogation at its zonal office in Kerala.
"Court cannot direct manner and mode of investigation. That is not the job of the court. At the moment, there is no restriction (on travel)," the court said.
"In the event of there being any travel restrictions from Kerala to Delhi, the respondent (ED) is directed to conduct interrogation in Kerala at the zonal office," it ordered.
The court also refused to direct the ED to place before it the reasons pursuant to which a search operation was carried out in the case earlier this month in Kerala.
"Currently, the same (seeking reasons) is not considered appropriate as there is no stay on the investigation," the court stated as it noted that the PFI's petition challenging the case as well as the application seeking a stay on the investigation was pending adjudication.
On December 8, the court had sought the ED's response on the PFI's plea challenging a money laundering case registered by the agency in 2018 following an NIA case concerning the alleged training of youngsters in Kerala for carrying out anti-national activities.
Lawyer Amit Mahajan, appearing for the ED, argued that the summoned members cannot direct the agency as to how the investigation is to be conducted.
He added that whenever a person expresses a genuine difficulty in coming to the national capital for interrogation and the same does not hamper the investigation, such concerns are considered by the agency.
Lawyer Adit Pujari, representing the PFI, stated that search operations were conducted by the agency earlier this month in Kerala and summons were issued to three members to appear in Delhi.
He sought a direction to the central agency to conduct the interrogation at its Kerala zonal office on account of concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19, as well as the fact that the members were not residents of Delhi or well-versed with the local language.
The lawyer had earlier submitted before the court that over 150 summons were received by several of its members from across the country for a "roving and fishing inquiry" in the case by the ED.
The matter will be heard next in February.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Hamas accepts cease-fire proposal for Gaza, but Israel's stance still uncertain
Jerusalem, May 6: Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but there was no immediate word from Israel, leaving it uncertain whether a deal had been sealed to bring a halt to the seven-month-long war in Gaza.
It was the first glimmer of hope that a deal might avert further bloodshed. Hours earlier, Israel ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern Gaza town of Rafah, signalling that an attack was imminent. The United States and other key allies of Israel oppose an offensive on Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza's population, are sheltering.
An official familiar with Israeli thinking said Israeli officials were examining the proposal, but the plan approved by Hamas was not the framework Israel proposed.
An American official also said the US was still waiting to learn more about the Hamas position and whether it reflected an agreement to what had already been signed off on by Israel and international negotiators or something else. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as a stance was still being formulated.
Details of the proposal have not been released. Touring the region last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had pressed Hamas to take the deal, and Egyptian officials said it called for a cease-fire of multiple stages starting with a limited hostage release and some Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza. The two sides would also negotiate a “permanent calm” that would lead to a full hostage release and greater Israeli withdrawal, they said.
