Fertilizer scam | HC to hear on June 11 RJD MP Amarendra Dhari Singh’s plea challenging remand order

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said it will hear on June 11, a plea by RJD Rajya Sabha MP Amarendra Dhari Singh, arrested in a money-laundering case related to an alleged fertilizer scam, challenging trial court’s order granting his 10-day custody to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The petition came up for hearing before Justice Rekha Palli, who posted it for further hearing on Friday.

The court noted that since Singh’s counsel circulated certain judgements to challenge the trial court order, the counsel for ED Amit Mahajan also wished to place some judgements in support of his arguments and it will be done by Thursday.

Singh, a member of Parliament and a businessman, was arrested by the ED on June 2 under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Seeking to set aside the trial court’s June 3 remand order, the plea said the special judge’s order suffers from complete non-application of mind and has been passed mechanically without proper appreciation of peculiar facts of the case, material on record and the prevailing law.

The petition said the complaint dates back to April 2013 and the CBI registered and FIR for the alleged offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy under the IPC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act in May 2021.

Pursuant to the registration of the FIR, a search/raid was conducted at Singh’s residence and office premises on May 19 this year in which he and his employees duly cooperated.

The next day, that is May 20, the ED also registered a case against him and between May 20 and June 2, when he was arrested, no summons were issued to him to join the investigation.

“The respondent agency (ED) has not offered any justification for suggesting that the immediate and unprecedented arrest was necessary. In the remand application, the respondent has sought to justify the arrest and remand of the petitioner [Singh] on the ground that he is required to be confronted with voluminous documentary record. It is pertinent to note that the said exercise can be conducted without arresting the petitioner,” the plea said and sought release of Singh.

The case pertains to an alleged fertilizer scam linked to the IFFCO and India Potash Limited (IPL), in which the CBI had registered a corruption case last month.

Singh is stated to be the senior vice-president of a firm involved in the case, identified as Jyoti Trading Corporation.