DEVAS MULTIMEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED Vs. THE JOINT DIRECTOR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In the present writ petition filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, petitioner - Devas Multimedia Private Limited, a company registered under the provisions of the Companies Act , 1956, is calling in question provisional attachment order dated 27.02.2017 issued by the Joint Director, Enforcement Directorate, Bengaluru Zone Office, Bengaluru, under Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (for short, 'the PML Act') and the show-cause notice dated 20.02.2017 issued by the Adjudicating Authority (PMLA), New Delhi under Section 8 of the PML Act.

(2.) By the provisional attachment order, respondent No.1 has provisionally attached petitioner's mutual fund deposits and bank accounts for a period of 180 days. The show-cause notice is issued by the Adjudicating Authority pursuant to an application filed on 20.02.2017 by the Deputy Director, Enforcement Directorate under Section 18(10) read with Section 17(4) of the PML Act. The show- cause notice calls upon the petitioner to show-cause why the properties or records seized or frozen under Section 17 of PML Act should not be retained as property involved in money laundering and required for the purpose of confiscation.

(3.) Petitioner contends that allegations made against it are totally false, frivolous and malafide and that it had not violated any provisions of PML Act.