Karnataka High Court stays ED’s money laundering case against Amnesty India
Karnataka High Court stays ED’s money laundering case against Amnesty India
Bengaluru, The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim stay on the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering proceedings against Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and its former head, Aakar Patel.
The case, which stems from a 2022 prosecution complaint, will remain on hold until further orders.
Justice Hemanth Chandangoudar recently granted temporary relief to both AIIPL and Patel, instructing the ED to refrain from advancing its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act .
The court also served notice to the ED, directing the agency to respond to the petitions filed by the two seeking to quash the case.
The ED had earlier filed a complaint in May 2022 against several individuals, including Patel, AIIPL, and former CEO G Ananthapadmanabhan, based on alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Act and linked money laundering activities.
The roots of the case go back to a 2019 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Amnesty International India Foundation Trust , which accused the organisation of breaching FCRA norms.
The ED later took over, claiming that Amnesty India received funds from its UK counterpart through commercial means, allegedly to bypass FCRA restrictions.
Amnesty International India ceased operations in 2020 after its bank accounts were frozen by Indian authorities. At the time, the organisation described the action as part of a broader clampdown on civil society and maintained that the allegations were unfounded.
In granting the stay, the High Court observed that a similar interim order had been issued earlier in February to Ananthapadmanabhan by another bench, led by Justice SR Krishna Kumar.
Since the charges against Patel and AIIPL aligned with those in the previous case, the court found it appropriate to extend the same protection.
“The counsel for the petitioners pointed out that interim relief was already granted to one of the co-accused in a related case. As the allegations are similar, an interim order is granted for the petitioners as well until the next hearing,” the court stated.
The matter is currently pending before the XLVI Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Judge for PMLA cases in Bengaluru.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
