LI Network
Published on: January 4, 2024 at 10:40 IST
The Delhi High Court has recently responded to a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against a lower Court’s decision to release three individuals, including a Chinese national, involved in a money laundering case connected to smartphone manufacturer Vivo.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, heading a vacation bench, has issued notice to the accused—Hong Xuquan, Harender Dahiya, and Hemant Kumar Munjal—acknowledging the seriousness of the case presented by the ED. Despite their release based on the trial court’s directive, no immediate interim orders have been issued due to the previous release.
In light of the urgency, the court has slated the matter for the following day, assigning it to the roster bench.
The ED has contested a ruling made by a vacation judge at Patiala House Courts on December 30, which invalidated the arrests of the three individuals and granted them bail. However, an additional condition was imposed, mandating their daily presence at the agency’s office until January 3.
The trio had challenged their arrest and detention, stating that they were apprehended on December 21, contrary to the agency’s claim of December 22.
The trial court, in its ruling, highlighted the failure to produce the accused within 24 hours of their arrest, deeming their custody illegal and granting them relief.
The ED’s investigation involved raids on Vivo India and associated individuals in 2022, uncovering a significant money laundering operation allegedly involving Chinese nationals and multiple Indian companies.
The allegation included the unauthorized transfer of Rs 62,476 crore by Vivo India to China, purportedly to evade tax payments in India.