Money laundering case: 7 discharged by ED after CBI closes earlier case

A SPECIAL court on Thursday discharged seven accused from a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) linked to a company after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closed its case against them earlier.

Pushpak Bullions, a company engaged in bullion trading and manufacturing and export of jewellery, its directors Chandrakant Patel, Amit Sampat, and others, were named by the CBI in an FIR in 2017, claiming that records were fabricated during demonetisation in a bid to convert tainted money as untainted, causing losses to the tune of Rs 83.19 crore to a bank.

In 2022, the CBI told the court that there was no evidence and hence the case was being closed. The Supreme Court had clarified in a recent order that if the predicate offence, based on which the ED files its case, is closed, the ED case cannot continue. Based on this, special judge AC Daga discharged all the accused in the case as there is no predicate offence pending against Pushpak Bullions and others.