Delhi court adjourns hearing in Lava chief's bail plea in Vivo PMLA case to Dec 8

New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS) A Delhi court on Monday adjourned the hearing on mobile company Lava International Managing Director's plea seeking bail in connection with a money laundering case related to Chinese smartphone-maker Vivo.

The court noted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is to file the prosecution complaint on December 7 and adjourned the matter to December 8.

It has also directed the jail authority concerned to file the medical status report of the accused Hari Om Rai, who has also been directed to file a rejoinder to the ED’s reply on the bail application.

On November 29, the court had granted two days to Rai to file a rejoinder on the ED’s reply on his application.

Rai has sought bail in the case related to Chinese smartphone maker Vivo and on November 18, the court had sought a response from the ED on his bail application.

Counsel for Rai, advocates Nitesh Rana, and Vikram Chaudhary submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Yogesh that the financial probe agency supplied the copy of the reply only at 12 midnight, which they claimed was not as per the order of the court.

The court then directed to supply the medical report to the accused and had listed the matter for next hearing on December 4.

On November 23, the court extended the judicial custody of accused individuals, who also include Kuang, Chartered Accountants Nitin Garg, and Rajan Malik, by 14 days.

Earlier, on Rai’s bail application, Rana had argued that since the accused was not required for further custodial interrogation, no purpose would be served by keeping him in custody.

The ED's application before Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala was opposed by Rana who argued that judicial custody cannot be extended "mechanically" and "automatically”, and that there must be application of mind.

The probe agency had arrested the four persons on October 10 and the court earlier noted that the probe agency was able to make out the case for the grant of further custody.

A source had told IANS that the arrests were made after the financial probe agency carried out searches at the premises of the four accused and recovered cash to the tune of Rs 10 lakh. The ED action came more than a year after it carried out searches at 48 locations across the country belonging to Vivo Mobiles India Private Ltd and its 23 associated companies such as Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL), and claimed that it has busted a major money laundering racket involving Chinese nationals and multiple Indian firms.

The PMLA investigation was initiated by registering a money laundering case on February 3, 2022 on the basis of an FIR registered at the Kalkaji police station here by Delhi Police against the GPICPL, its director, shareholders and certifying professionals etc., on the basis of a complaint filed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.