India News | Mahadev Betting App PMLA Case: Raipur Court Sends EBIX Chairman Vikas Garg to ED Custody Till July 24
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Raipur on Wednesday remanded EBIX Chairman Vikas Garg to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till July 24, holding that his custodial interrogation was necessary for an effective investigation into the alleged Mahadev Online Book betting app money laundering case.
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 15 (ANI): A Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Raipur on Wednesday remanded EBIX Chairman Vikas Garg to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till July 24, holding that his custodial interrogation was necessary for an effective investigation into the alleged Mahadev Online Book betting app money laundering case.
The court observed that the ED had placed sufficient prima facie material to justify his arrest and that further interrogation was required to ascertain his alleged role, trace the proceeds of crime and investigate the involvement of other accused persons.
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The Special Court rejected Garg's objections to his arrest and remand, holding that after his arrest in New Delhi, he had been produced before the competent court for transit remand and was thereafter brought before the Raipur court within the prescribed time. It found no merit in the contention that the arrest or production before the court was illegal.
The ED submitted before the Raipur court that Garg allegedly played an important role in the economic offences relating to the Mahadev Online Book app.
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According to the agency, his custodial interrogation was essential to uncover the entire conspiracy, trace the alleged proceeds of crime, examine the role of other accused persons and confront him with evidence and statements recorded during the investigation under Section 50 of the PMLA.
Accepting these submissions, the court observed that the investigation was still underway and custodial interrogation was necessary to verify various facts emerging from the material collected during the probe.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Madhav Khurana, appearing for Garg along with Advocate Maqbool Fraz, opposed the remand application, contending that no incriminating material had been collected against his client and that custodial interrogation was unwarranted.
It was further argued that the arrest was illegal and that Garg had not been produced before the court within 24 hours. However, the court rejected these submissions after examining the case records and the chronology of his production before the courts.
While remanding Garg to ED custody till July 24, the Special Court directed the agency to ensure that his human rights are protected during custody, that he is not subjected to physical or mental harassment, and that he is provided necessary medical treatment, prescribed medicines and food as advised by doctors.
Garg was arrested by the ED from his New Delhi residence on July 14 in connection with the Mahadev betting app money laundering investigation. On the same day, the agency produced him before Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Shankar at Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi, seeking a 48-hour transit remand to take him to Raipur. The Delhi court, however, granted a 24-hour transit remand, enabling the ED to produce him before the Special PMLA Court in Raipur.
Before the Tis Hazari Court, the ED, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Simon Benjamin, submitted that Garg had been arrested in connection with the money laundering investigation arising out of the alleged illegal online betting syndicate.
The agency argued that his custodial interrogation was necessary to unravel the money trail. It informed the court that properties allegedly linked to Garg worth about Rs 940 crore had already been attached and that prosecution complaints had been filed before the Raipur court in the case involving 74 accused persons.
The ED also submitted that although Garg had been summoned earlier, he had failed to appear, necessitating his arrest. It further stated that while he was not named in the scheduled FIRs or the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), his custodial interrogation had become necessary based on the evidence collected during the ongoing investigation.
Opposing the transit remand before the Delhi court, Senior Advocate Madhav Khurana argued that the ECIR had been registered in 2022 and that Garg had already joined the investigation on three occasions and furnished all documents sought by the ED. It was contended that there was no need for custodial interrogation and that instead of transit remand, he should be granted one day's bail with an undertaking to appear before the ED the following day.
The Delhi court nevertheless granted the ED transit remand, following which Garg was produced before the Special PMLA Court in Raipur, which has now remanded him to ED custody till July 24. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)