THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE J. SREENIVAS RAO TRANSFER CRIMINAL PETITION No.21 of 2018

ORDER:

This transfer criminal petition has been filed under Section

407 read with 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Cr.P.C.) by the petitioner seeking to transfer C.C.No.22 of 2013 from the file the III Additional Special Judge for CBI Cases, Hyderabad, to the designated Special Court under PMLA/the Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Hyderabad.

2. Heard Mr. V. Ramakrishna Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioner appearing through video conference and Mr. T. Srujan Kumar Reddy, learned Special Public Prosecutor for CBI for respondent No.1. In spite of service of notice, respondent Nos.2 and 3 have not chosen to enter appearance.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that in view of specific bar under Section 42(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to, as the ‘PMLA Act’), jurisdiction to adjudicate the PMLA Act cases. Hence, the case has to be transferred to the Special Court under PMLA/

Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Hyderabad.

4. Per contra, learned counsel for respondent No.1 submitted that the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) issued notificat