New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday filed a 1500- page charge sheet against lawyer-cum-businessman Gautam Khaitan before a Special CBI court in connection with a fresh money laundering case.
The charge sheet against Khaitan was filed before Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar under sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In its charge sheet, the ED alleged that Khaitan deposited a huge amount of money in offshore accounts. He has also been accused of holding bank accounts abroad and having Rs 6000 crore which he didn’t disclose in his income tax return.
This document was filed in connection with a fresh case lodged against Khaitan on the complaint of the Income Tax (I-T) department under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.
It runs into over 50 operative pages while the rest are attached material.
Last week, the court allowed the I-T department to interrogate Khaitan in jail for three days. It was permitted to quiz Khaitan, managing partner of OP Khaitan & Co, on March 19, 20 and 22 from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm.
During the hearing, advocate Aneesh Dhingra, appearing for the I-T department, had told the court, “We have already filed five complaints against him under the I-T Act since 2013 and issued several summons to him.”
Khaitan’s counsel Pramod Dubey had then opposed the plea filed by the I-T department, saying that it had not mentioned anything about the case.
The department had approached the court to question Khaitan in an income tax case in judicial custody (Tihar Jail) to record his statement.
“Many of these pieces of evidence show tax evasions and that he has to be questioned regarding this and stashed black money,” it had contended.
On Monday, the ED had attached properties connected to Khaitan in Delhi, Haryana and the UK allegedly worth Rs 8.46 crore under the PMLA.
In February, the Patiala House court had issued a production warrant against Khaitan in AgustaWestland case. The ED had informed the court that some reports were awaited from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding other accused like Guido Haschke and Carlos Gerosa. The Patiala House Court had adjourned the hearing for May 9.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]