A special court on Thursday sent former special CBI judge Sudhir Parmar to judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case registered by Enforcement Directorate.
Sudhir Parmar was produced as an accused in the same courtroom where he once presided over as special judge.
Parmar was produced by ED before the court of special judge for PMLA cases, Rajiv Goyal, on Monday after expiry of his six days custodial interrogation. The room was packed with lawyers, who had travelled to Panchkula from different districts, to show solidarity to Parmar.
“I am an accused and I will sit here only,” said Parmar, while turning down requests of lawyers to sit on the seats meant for advocates in the centre of the court room on Thursday.
ED represented by advocate JS Lalli, deputy solicitor general of India and advocate Lokesh Narang special public prosecutor ED, had moved an application seeking extension of remand by eight days to confront him with digital data in form of call records and WhatsApp chats.
While, counsel of Sudhir Parmar, advocate Umrish Gandhi, opposed the plea saying that when ED had stated that the screenshorts of the Whatsapp chats were provided to them by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Gandhi argued what investigations were done in last four months that they are seeking extension of remand to confront with same data that was seized by ACD April itself.
{{/usCountry}}While, counsel of Sudhir Parmar, advocate Umrish Gandhi, opposed the plea saying that when ED had stated that the screenshorts of the Whatsapp chats were provided to them by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Gandhi argued what investigations were done in last four months that they are seeking extension of remand to confront with same data that was seized by ACD April itself.
{{/usCountry}}ED had started PMLA investigations after registering an enforcement case information report (ECIR) on June 13. The ECIR was based on the April 17 first information report (FIR) registered by ACB under sections 7, 8, 11 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code for offences relating to a public servant being bribed, a public servant taking undue advantage, criminal misconduct by a public servant and criminal conspiracy.
Parmar, suspended on April 27, after being booked on April 17, has been accused of alleged favouritism in his treatment of real estate developers Roop Bansal and his brother Basant Bansal of M3M and Lalit Goyal of IREO Group, according to the ACB’s FIR. Bansal brothers, Goyal and nephew of judicial officer, Ajay Parmar were also arrested by the ED earlier.