Uttarakhand: High Court stays ED’s order to confiscate property related to Harak Singh Rawat, seeks reply
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The Nainital High Court has stayed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) order to confiscate property belonging to Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat. The High Court has directed the ED and other parties to file a reply. The next hearing of the case in the court will be on May 14.
The hearing was held before a single bench of Justice Pankaj Purohit. On January 20, the ED had ordered the provisional confiscation of 101 bighas of land worth Rs 70 crore of the Smt. Poorna Devi Memorial Trust. The Doon Institute of Medical Science is operated in it.
The ED alleged that the trust is run by Harak’s family and friends. The ED also alleged that Harak’s wife Deepti Rawat had bought the land at a nominal price as part of a conspiracy. This order was challenged by filing a petition on behalf of the trust.
The single bench, while giving the decision, said that Section 5(1) B of PMLA was not complied with in this case. The court has stayed the ED’s attachment order and directed to file a reply within two weeks.
