Ajay Singh alleges ‘media trial’, accuses ED of ‘selective leaks’ to journalists

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday refused to issue any directions on the allegations of Ajay Singh, a clerk of city-based lawyer Mukesh Mittal, being interrogated by the enforcement directorate on money laundering allegations. Singh had alleged ‘selective leaks’ by the agency against him.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday refused to issue any directions on the allegations of Ajay Singh, a clerk of city-based lawyer Mukesh Mittal, being interrogated by the enforcement directorate on money laundering allegations. Singh had alleged ‘selective leaks’ by the agency against him.

A division bench of acting chief justice SJ Vazifdar and Justice GS Sandhawalia orally turned down a plea by Ajay Singh’s counsel Vikram Chaudhri against, what he termed, “media trial” of the case.

As the hearing concluded for the day on the petition filed by Singh, his lawyer Chaudhri sought high court intervention stating that ED was making ‘selective leaks’ to influence the proceedings and also stated that messages and documents, which suited the agency, were being passed on to journalists on WhatsApp, a mobile app, by ED officials. Chaudhri wanted directions to ED to not share information about the case. However, the division bench refused to pass any order.

The court has adjourned the case for April 22.

Ajay Singh has approached the high court seeking quashing of the registration of enforcement case information report (ECIR) in 2013.

The ED had earlier submitted that several transactions worth hundreds of crores of rupees had been conducted through shell companies in Chandigarh and its periphery.

The ED has also charged that documents of said illegal sale of property were prepared in Mittal’s office and his clerk, Ajay Singh, who is the petitioner, had signed most of them, including the one delegating power of attorney.