File Photo: Close Aide of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, N Sasikala
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Madras High Court challenging the discharge of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's close aide N Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran by a city court in two Foreign Exchange Regulations Act (FERA) cases.
Justice B. Rajendran, before whom the criminal revision petitions by ED came up for hearing, issued notice to Sasikala and Dinakaran and directed them to file their replies within three weeks.
ED has in its petition challenged the May 18, 2015 order of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Economic Offences Court No:1) of Egmore discharging Sasikala and Dinakaran from FERA cases filed against them related to transactions in 1994.
In the revision petition against Dinakaran, ED contende that a complaint was filed against him for 'contravention' of FERA to the tune of USD 1,04,93,313 for acquiring, transferring and making payment to the credit of one M/s. Dipper Investments Limited, a company registered in British Virgin Islands.
It submitted that Dinakaran had acquired the money from persons other than authorised dealers in foreign exchange and deposited it in the bank account of Dipper Investments Ltd, a company incorporated outside India, without previous general or special permission of Reserve Bank of India, thereby contravening the provisions of FERA.
As regards Sasikala, ED said the magistrate failed to note that the amounts remitted into the NRNR account of one R. Susila, a friend of Sasikala, were by foreign currencies received abroad and which were non-repatriable.
This amount was allegedly re-routed to Sasikala by issuing 25 cheques by another person and this was not taken into account by the magistrate.
Hence, ED prayed for setting aside the orders of ACMM discharging Dinakaran and Sasikala from the FERA cases.