1. The cognizance in Spl.C.C.No.731/2023 taken by the Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge at Bangalore of the offence under Section 3 r/w Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (for short, 'the PMLA') and Section 4 of PMLA, is impugned in this petition by the petitioner-accused No.17.

2. The Jurisdictional Police after conducting investigation submitted a charge sheet before the Trial Court for the offences punishable under Sections 120B, 409, 420, 458 & 471, r/w Section 34, of IPC in Crime No.10/2020 registered by the Commercial Street Police Station, Bengaluru.

3. The case of the prosecution is that, the Deputy General Manager of the Karnataka State Agriculture Marketing Board, Bangalore (for short, 'the KSAMB') and officials of Syndicate Bank, Uttarahalli Branch, misappropriated the funds of the KSAMB by opening bank accounts by forging the documents and thereafter transferring to different NC: 2024:KHC:25046 CRL.P No. 10026 of 2023 accounts in various other banks and finally withdrawing and syphoning of the amounts related to the amounts related to the KSAMB.

4. On reference from the Jurisdictional Police, the Enforcement Directorate conducted the in