2017 Supreme(Guj) 219
IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
Z.K. Saiyed, J.
Jafar Mohammed Hasanfatta and Ors. - Appellants
Vs.
Deputy Director and Ors. - Respondent
Criminal Revision Application (Against Order Passed by Subordinate Court) No. 926 of 2016
Decided On : 16-02-2017
For the Appellant : Vikram Chaudhary, Sanjay Kantawala and Hriday Buch
For the Respondents: Devang Vyas
Headnote:
Indian Penal Code –Sections -120(B), 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 477 A -415 -120-B/420 -petitioners are accused in PMLA Complaint of dated arising -They have challenged in Revisionary Jurisdiction of this Court the Order dated issued by the Special Court for at issuing summons against them by taking cognizance of the offence under Section alleged in the said Complaint dated which is punishable under Section -It is the case of the petitioners that the impugned Order was passed despite there being no prima facie ground and absolute lack of any material evidence qua any of the petitioners to satisfy the necessary pre-requisites for invoking Section of against them and essential for taking cognizance and proceeding against each of the petitioners -Complaint subsequently filed two Supplementary Complaints Nos dated respectively –Charge Sheet filed against others in the Scheduled Offence and statements recorded under before and even after cognizance are placed by the petitioners on record amongst other documents to buttress this position -Petitioners are arraigned as accused in the Scheduled -Offences in which after investigations Charge Sheet has been filed -Trial of each of these accused petitioners is sought only on the alleged commission of the offence of money laundering as prescribed under Section of PMLA –Held, petitioners were made an accused in the scheduled offence -Even though the accused petitioners received in their bank accounts certain amounts at the instance of or from their close relative the statements if taken on their face value do not satisfy even on prima facie basis the pre-requisite for trying any person on allegation of money laundering or culpable knowledge of the Scheduled Offence and Proceeds of Crime derived, and projection of such proceeds of crime as untainted. Even on prima facie basis no offence is made out against any of the accused petitioners. Therefore I find merit in the submissions made on behalf of the accused Petitioners and I have no hesitation in holding that the impugned Order was passed mechanically and deserves to be set aside -Decided the correctness or otherwise of any provisional attachment or adjudication order in that regard by any authority under PMLA nor have I decided the issue as to whether alleged proceeds of crime amounting to received by directly or indirectly is involved in money launderin -These issues are subject matter of different proceedings and trial -The issues decided in the instant petition is limited to the legality or otherwise of the impugned Order dated taking cognizance and issuing process by way of summons qua each of the petitioners herein -Petition is accordingly allowed and the impugned Order dated is set aside qua each of the petitioners with consequential reliefs -Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent -Bail bond if any shall stand cancelled -Petition is accordingly allowed
Z.K. Saiyed, J.
1. The petitioners are accused in PMLA Complaint No. 3 of 2014 dated 18.7.2014 arising out of ECIR No. 01/SRT/2014. They have challenged in Revisionary Jurisdiction of this Court, the Order dated 18.7.2014 issued by the Special Court for PMLA at Ahmedabad, issuing summons against them by taking cognizance of the offence under Section 3 alleged in the said Complaint dated 18.7.2014, which is punishable under Section 4 of PMLA. It is the case of the petitioners that the impugned Order was passed despite there being no prima facie ground and absolute lack of any material evidence qua any of the petitioners to satisfy the necessary pre-requisites for invoking Section 3 of PMLA against them and essential for taking cognizance and proceeding against each of the petitioners. The PMLA Complaint, subsequently filed two Supplementary Complaints Nos. 4/2014 and 9/2015 dated 29.10.2014 and 27.08.2015 respectively, Charge-Sheet filed against others in the Scheduled Offence and statements recorded under PMLA before and even after cognizance are placed by the petitioners on record amongst other documents to buttress this position.
2. It is undisputed fact that none of these petitioners are arraigned as accused in the Scheduled Offences in which after investigations Charge Sheet has been filed. Therefore, trial of each of these accused petitioners is sought only on the alleged commission of the offence of money laundering as prescribed under Section 3 of PMLA. Now, it is settled position of law that offence under PMLA is a distinct offence as compared to the Scheduled Offence as held by a Division Bench of this Court vide Judgment dated 16.1.2016 in Rakesh Manekchand Kothari v. Union of India in SCRA 4496 and 4672 of 2014. Whereas the generating or deriving "proceeds of crime" from the Scheduled offence is not offence punishable under PMLA, but knowingly projecting such proceeds of crime as untainted would amount to an offence of money laundering. Therefore, merely not being an accused of Scheduled Offence would not absolve the petitioners, if there is any material to show the involvement of any of the accused petitioners in knowingly projecting proceeds of crime as untainted.
3. Mr. Devang Vyas, learned Assistant Solicitor for the respondent No. 1 has submitted that present revision is not maintainable at law. He has contended that the amount was remitted to the Company (Page 431) Para-31 whereby property belonging to his family members were attached, including those of present applicant Rs. 139 crores in the name of applicant No. 2 was attached. This have been confirming by the adjudicating authority. He has submitted that properties are involved in the money laundering and during the investigation in respect of having knowledge and they received the payment and made further payment were in their name and they were signatory and having power to operate account and thereby they are involved in the case of money laundering and, therefore, it is denied that ingredients of offence are lacking.
4. He has further submitted that petitioners miserably failed to prove any sufficient ground as to why the petitioners failed to take any action since July, 2014 though the petitioners were aware of the fact that learned Sessions Judge, Ahmedabad Rural had issued summons against the petitioners on 18.7.2014. The date of aforementioned order is not disputed by the petitioners. He has submitted that petitioners are neither in a position to dispute the fact of knowledge or order of issuance of summons nor in a position to raise contents of knowledge of remedy available to the petitioners.
5. He has also submitted that petitioners were aware about the aspect that they were require to file their appearance before the returnable date. It would not be proper for the petitioners to contend that the petitioners are illiterate persons and were not aware about the remedy available to the petitioners.
6. He has submitted that information was recei