UNION OF INDIA Vs. LEXUS TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In all the four aforementioned writ appeals, since common questions of law and fact arise, we propose to deal with them by way of a common order.

(2.) The present Writ Appeal No.967 of 2023 has been filed in terms of Clause 15 of the Letters Patent against the judgment and order dtd. 9/8/2023 passed in W.P.No.18057 of 2023, whereby the writ Court while exercising powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, has quashed the impugned ECIR dtd. 31/5/2022, the Provisional Attachment Order No.1/2023, dtd. 10/5/2023 and the Original Complaint No.1996/2023, dtd. 8/6/2023, in terms of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as "PMLA, 2002") and has further directed release of all the seized property, material and documents.

(3.) Investigation under PMLA, 2002 came to be initiated vide ECIR/VKSZO/027/2022, dtd. 31/5/2022, against the respondents herein and officials of M/s. NRI Academy of Sciences which is a Society registered under the Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act, 2001"), on the basis of two FIRs bearing Crime No.85 of 2021, dtd. 3/3/2021 for offences punishable under Ss. 420, 406, 120B r/w Sec. 34 of IPC and Crime No.346 of 2021 dtd. 19/6/2021 for offences punishable under Ss. 120B, 409, 471, 420 and 506 of IPC registered at Mangalagiri police station.