SURINDER PAL SINGH Vs. M L WADHAWAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The officers of the Delhi Zone Office of the Enforcement Directorate tried to kill three birds, instead of two with one stone. Two of the victims, namely, Narinderjit Singh and Anil Kumar Bhasin have already been rescued and released while the case of the third i.e. Shri Surinder Pal Singh is now under examination. The impugned order of detention of Shri M.L. Wadhawan, AddI. Secretary to the Government of India dated. 23.5.1986 covers the case of the above named three detenus. They were apprehended under the following circumstances.

(2.) On 2.1.1986, while the Enforcement officers were carrying on searches of the premises of M/s Fairdeal Impex International, M/s Narang Enterprises, M/s Narang Sons; M/s Fairdeal Impex (India), at 1-4 Connaught Place, New Delhi, one person who disclosed his name as Narinderjit Singh entered the premises. His personal search resulted in the recovery and seizure of two loose sheets. His statement under section 40 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act was recorded wherein he, inter alia, stated that he needed money for the purchase of textiles in Hong Kong. He requested his friend to arrange money for him in Hong Kong. Mr. Gurpal Singh (Surinder Pal Singh) of Ambala offered to arrange money for him in Hong Kong. Narinderjit Singh gave an advance of Rs. 64,583/- to Gurpal Singh and requested him to arrange for the supply of dollars in Hong Kong. On the basis of his depositions the residential premises of Gurpal Singh (Surinder Pal Singh) were searched which resulted in the seizure of certain documents, including the passport in his name.

(3.) On 4.1.1986, the statement of the present petitioner was also recorded wherein he allegedly admitted that previously, he was working as a carrier for one Manmohan Singh of Ashok Vihar, New Delhi for bringing foreign goods from abroad. Later on his relations with Manmohan Singh got strained and he started his own trips to Dubai and Hong Kong as he had no difficulty for money because, his father Mangal Singh was working in Dubai. He also deposed that he had made arrangements for payment of money abroad to Anil Kumar Bhasin, the details of which find mention in the grounds of detention. In this way, Anil Kumar Bhasin made payments to the tune of Rs. 2,62,500/-, to petitioner.