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2015 (1) TMI 1310 - HC - Money LaunderingMoney Laundering - Offence under PML Act - bail application - Held that:- Assistant Director of Directorate of Enforcement – respondent No.3 is competent and authorized officer under PML Act to order arrest under Section 19(1) of PML Act, and therefore, again there is no scope to read down, lay down, expound, interpret and deliberate upon the scope and perspective of Section 19 of PML Act in light of Section 49(3) read with the Rules notified under Notification GSR 446(E) dated 01.07.2005. Nexus is established between the criminal activity relating to schedule offence and the proceedings thereof for the offences of money laundering as defined under Section 3 read with Section 2(1)(u) of the PML Act. That during the process and investigation carried out by the Directorate of Enforcement, the petitioners are found to have been involved in money laundering racket and not naming the petitioners in the offences registered initially by investigating agency is now being prosecuted for the involvement under Section 3 of the PML Act by Directorate of Enforcement. The grounds of arrest was communicated to the accused after due medical check up as undertaken and he was also produced within the stipulated time before the designated Judge under PML Act at Ahmedabad and no complaint or grievance was ever made by the petitioners about any kind of illtreatment or coercion by the offices of Directorate of Enforcement. That in execution of arrest, all procedural requirements were complied with and the accused has signed receipt of grounds for arrest and even a friend of the accused viz. Mr. . Amit Solanki, C.A. Was handed over the belongings and signed the inventory annexed to the arrest memo. That learned Designated Judge was pleased to grant custody of the petitioners for a period of 4 days and in a pro in a procedure to remand etc. and rejection of prayer of temporary bail on 09.09.2014 by the designated court and filing of prosecution complaint dated 29.10.2014 against the petitioner and competency of the Assistant Director – respondent No.3 to order arrest in compliance of Section 19(1) of PML Act surface on record, which is again in consonance with the safeguards enshrined under Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India and we find no breach of any procedural enumerated either under Article 19(1)of the PML Act or under Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India. It cannot be said that order of arrest suffers from vice of any illegality on the ground that it is ordered by the incompetent or unauthorized and there is no failure in adhering procedure laid down under Seton 19(1) of the PML Act and further no breach to the guidelines laid down in the case of D.K.Basu [1996 (12) TMI 350 - SUPREME COURT ] and it cannot be said that the petitioners are detained or confined illegally warranting issuance of writ of Habeas Corpus. At the same time respondent No.3 – Assistant Director of Enforcement is competent and authorized to issue order of arrest under Section 19(1) of the PML Act and no case is made out to issue writ of quo warranto as prayed for.
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