The court will hear the case on February 5
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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The Rouse Avenue court located in the country’s capital New Delhi on Saturday reserved its order on the interim bail plea of businessman Amit Katyal. Katyal has been arrested by ED in money laundering case in exchange for job. He had sought interim bail on medical grounds. Special Judge Vishal Gogane reserved the order after hearing the arguments of senior advocate Vikas Pahwa on behalf of Amit Katyal. His application was opposed by ED’s special counsel Zoheb Hussain along with lawyer Manish Jain. The court will give its verdict on this petition on February 5.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a prosecution complaint (PC) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, before the Rouse Avenue court on January 8 this year. In that, Amit Katyal, Rabri Devi, Meesha Bharti, Hema Yadav, Hridayanand Chaudhary and two companies (AK Infosystems Private Limited and AB Exports Private Limited) were made accused. After that, the court took cognizance of the PC on January 27 and issued notice to the accused persons and institutions to appear on February 9 for further hearing.
According to the information, ED started the investigation on the basis of FIR registered by CBI related to land in exchange for job scam. The FIR alleged that the then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was involved in corruption in the appointment of Group D substitutes in the Indian Railways during the period 2004-2009. According to the FIR, the candidates were asked to transfer land as bribe in exchange for jobs in Indian Railways. CBI has also filed a charge sheet regarding this.
At the same time, ED has alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family members Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav are accused in the PC. These people had acquired land parcels from the families of the candidates (who were selected as Group D option in Indian Railways) for nominal amounts. Another accused in the PC, Hridayanand Chaudhary (a former employee of Rabri Devi ki Gaushala), had acquired property from a candidate. Then later it was transferred to Hema Yadav.
The ED said in a statement that AK Infosystems Pvt Ltd and AB Exports Pvt Ltd were shell companies. He had received money earned from crime for the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
It further states that immovable properties were acquired by key people in the said companies. Then after that the shares were transferred to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav for nominal amount. Amit Katyal used to manage these companies for Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family.
Earlier, the ED had conducted a search operation on March 10, 2023, in which cash worth approximately Rs 1 crore and valuables equivalent to approximately Rs 1.25 crore were seized. ED has also provisionally attached immovable assets worth Rs 6.02 crore on July 29, 2023. The statement said that the ED had arrested Amit Katyal on November 11, 2023 for knowingly helping Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family in money laundering.