Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence: ED registers money laundering case with court nod

The court said whether there are any proceeds of crime is a part of the investigation, and as a complaint has been registered, lawyer Surendra Gadling's statement can be recorded.

Published on: Aug 10, 2022, 22:34:00 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday registered a money laundering case in Elgar Parishad and Bhima Koregaon violence case and began an investigation hours after a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) allowed the ED to record the statement of lawyer Surendra Gadling in this regard at the Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai.

According to a PTI report, special judge for NIA cases Rajesh J Katariya said whether there are any proceeds of crime is a part of the investigation, and as a complaint has been registered, Gadling's statement can be recorded.

Gadling has been in judicial custody since 2018 following his arrest in the Elgar Parishad case.

The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) last year based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the NIA in the case.

The agency told the court that Gadling was a prime accused in the case and it wanted to record his statement. He was an active member of the CPI (Maoist) and was suspected to be involved in fund raising and disbursement of money for the banned outfit, it said.

Opposing the plea, Gadling said the ED had “malafide and hidden agenda” to implicate him in yet another case. Its allegations were “absolutely baseless,” he added.

The court then allowed the ED to record Gadling's statement in Taloja jail near Mumbai from August 17 to 19.

Gadling and several other activists have been arrested in the Elgar Parishad violence case. The case relates to Elgar Parishad, a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. The Pune Police had alleged that the conclave was backed by the Maoists and the inflammatory speeches made there triggered caste violence near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in the district a day later. The invstigation was later taken over by the NIA.

(With inputs from agen)

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