Delhi Court Extends Probe Agency Custody For Actor Leena Paul, Partner

A Delhi Court has extended the remand of Sukesh Chandrasekhar and actor Leena Maria Paul for more days in connection with a money laundering case worth Rs 200 crore to establish the money trail of the proceeds of crime.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh on Tuesday extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand of Sukesh Chandrasekhar for a further period of 11 days and of Leena Maria Paul to further custody till October 16, 2021.

Earlier on October 9, both were sent to three days ED remand by the court.

"I find that to establish the money trail of the proceeds of crime and to confront the accused with the statements of other accused, further custodial interrogation of the accused is required," the court said.

The Enforcement Directorate, a financial probe agency, has recently arrested them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the extortion racket which was being run from a Delhi jail. Two co-accused Pradeep Ramdani and Deepak Ramnani have been also arrested by the ED in the case.

According to the ED, during the investigation, searches were conducted at various places linked to Sukesh Chandrashekar and his associates. During the search, 16 high-end vehicles were seized under section 17 PMLA and these cars are either in the name of firms of Leena Paul's or in the name of third parties. It is further submitted that it has emerged that Chandrasekhar knowingly created the structure for layering and transferring proceeds of crime and thus, actively participated in the process of money laundering.

Chandrasekhar and Paul along with several others accused were earlier arrested by Delhi Police. The police have recently also invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case.

Delhi Police had alleged that Paul, Chandrasekhar with others used Hawala routes, created Shell companies to park the money earned from proceeds of crime.

Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had registered an FIR against Chandrasekhar for allegedly duping the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy, Shivinder Singh, and Malvinder Singh, of Rs 200 crore besides ongoing investigations against him in several cases across the country.

According to the EOW, Delhi Police has extended its investigation into the case related to extortion of over Rs 200 crore by Rohini jail inmate Chandrasekar for allegedly duping wives of former Religare promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, who are currently in Tihar jail. At least two separate FIRs have been registered in the case so far and 23 Deputy Superintendents have been transferred on August 17, police said.

Investigation revealed that the accused Chandrasekar had duped Shivinder's wife Aditi Singh and Malvinder's wife Japna Singh worth over several crores of rupees.

The women claimed that they have paid crores of rupees to the conman to secure bail for their husbands and ensure their safety, as he posed as an officer from the Union Law Ministry.

"I was assured that the central government would be interested to work with my husband after making him an 'industry advisor' on Covid-related committees. He asked me to contribute to the 'party fund' and assured to set up a meeting either with the former law minister or home minister," Aditi Singh alleged in her FIR.

According to Japna Singh, she paid a total of Rs 3.5 crore to the Hong-Kong-based account on July 28, 29, 30, and August 6, and has shared proof of the transactions. Afterwards, the police laid a trap and arrested two of his accomplices, Pradeep and Deepak, between August 7 and 8.

A senior official of Delhi Police had earlier said that the matter is quite sensitive and arrested Sukesh Chandrasekar from Rohini jail; his two associates Pradeep Ramdani and Deepak Ramnani; two jail officials, deputy superintendent Subhash Batra and assistant jail superintendent Dharam Singh Meena; and three men - Komal Poddar, who is a manager at RBL in Connaught Place, and his two associates Avinash Kumar and Jitender Narula.

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