ABDUL HALEEM Vs. DEPUTY DIRECTOR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 28/1/2022 for the offences under Ss. 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (herein after referred to as "the PML Act") in Spl.C.C.No.7 of 2021 in ECIR No. ECIR/CEZO-II/05/2017 on the file of the learned XII Additional Special Judge for CBI and PMLA Cases at Chennai, seeks bail.

(2.) The case of the prosecution is that the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) No.CEZO/05/2014 dtd. 1/4/2017 was recorded by the respondent on the basis of an FIR registered in Crime No.63 of 2017 for the offences under Ss. 465, 467, 468, 471 and 420 of IPC, registered by the City Crime Branch-1, Egmore, Chennai, as against the accused persons. Since, these offences are scheduled offences under Ss. 2(1)(x) and 2(1)(y) of the PML Act, ECIR was recorded by the respondent.

(3.) During the course of the investigation, it was noticed that one of the business entities arraigned as suspected person in the name and style of M/s. B.K.Electro Tool Products and it is a sole proprietorship concern. Its proprietor one B.Kannan opened a current account in the name of M/s. B.K. Electro Tool Products with Indian Bank, Thousand light Branch, Chennai, on 31/8/2016. He was assigned with current account number and the same was operated from 31/8/2016 to 5/10/2016. During that period, the first accused made foreign outward remittance to the tune of 1,205,550.69 USD equivalent to INR 8,09,17,723.00 on thirteen different occasions towards direct import of goods.