Delhi Jal Board money laundering case: Court grants bail to CA in money laundering case

New Delhi [India], April 9 : The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to a CA who is charge-sheeted and an accused in the Delhi Jal board money laundering case.
He has been charged sheeted along with three others including a former Chief Engineer at Delhi Jal Board (DJB) by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court has taken cognizance of the charge sheet.
Special judge Bhupinder Singh granted bail to Tejinder Pal Singh on his furnishing personal bond in a sum of Rs one Lakh with one surety of like amount subject to the conditions including that the accused shall surrender his passport, if any and not already surrendered, within 15 days.
"The evidence in the present case is primarily documentary in nature and needless to mention that investigations have been completed since the ECIR has been filed, "the special judge said in the order passed on April 9.
It was submitted by advocate Vipin Kandwal, counsel for the accused that he has been falsely implicated in the present case at the instance of certain persons having adverse interest against him.
It was also submitted that on April 3, after taking cognizance, this court issued summons against the accused along with other co-accused persons which were received by him on the same day and he appeared before the Court on April 4.
Special public prosecutor (SPP) Manish Jain along with advocates Snehal Sharda and Ishan Baisla appeared for ED.
He stated that the application may be decided by this court in accordance with law and in case, the same is allowed, strict conditions be imposed upon the applicant/accused.
ED has recently filed a charge sheet against four persons, including a former Chief Engineer of Delhi Jal board (DJB). The court issued summons to accused persons after taking cognizance of charge sheet.
This case is related to alleged irregularities in the tendering process for procurement of electromagnetic flow metres of Delhi Jal Board. ED lodged a case of money laundering on the basis of case of CBI.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its charge sheet has alleged that Part of the proceeds of Crime was transferred by former DJB Chief Engineer and other officers for election funding of Aam Aadmi Party. ED has said that the investigation is ongoing.
The ED charge sheet said, "Further, the investigation revealed that out of Proceed of Crime (Bribe) to the tune of Rs. 2,00,78,242, which had been acquired by Jagdish Kumar Arora, was transferred by him through Tajinder Pal Singh to various persons including other officers of Delhi Jal Board."
" Investigation also revealed that Jagdish Kumar Arora and other officers of Delhi Jal Board further transferred part of said PoC for election funding of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)," ED said.
ED has said that the Investigation with respect to the final utilization of the proceeds of crime (PoC) amounting to Rs. 2,00,78,242 which was transferred to various persons including officers of Delhi Jal Board and for election funding of AAP is ongoing.
It is alleged that former DJB Chief Engineer Jagdish Kumar Arora received Proceed of Crime Rs. 3.19 crores through CA Tejinder Pal Singh.
ED said that in respect of the said DJB contract of Rs 38 Cr, out of total the payments of Rs. 24,74,71,376 disbursed by DJB, funds to the tune of Rs. 10,62,22,694 were not utilized in the performance of the contract and were either retained by Integral Screw Industries and lws NKG Infrastructure Ltd or were paid to Jagdish Kumar Arora as illegal gratification/bribe and is therefore proceeds of crime within the terms of Section 2(1)(u) of PMLA, 2002 as the same was derived or obtained as a result of criminal activity of award of contract on the basis of false documents.
"Thus, Jagdish Kumar Arora was actually and knowingly involved in the concealment of PoC to the tune of Rs. 3.19 Crores. Jagdish Kumar Arora was also actually and knowingly involved in concealment of PoC of Rs.36,35,368 by covertly investing the same in immovable property by inter-mingling with funds (Rs 28,60,250) from other sources," the charge sheet said.
The Rouse Avenue court on April 3, took cognizance of the Enforcement Directorate's Charge sheet filed in an alleged money laundering case against a former Chief Engineer of Delhi Jal Board (DJB), a contractor, a CA Tejinder Pal Singh, a former NBCC officer Devender Mittal and a firm namely NKG Infrastructure Ltd.
ED had arrested former chief Engineer Jagdish Arora and contractor Anil Kumar Agarwal in this case and the other two accused have been charged sheeted without arrest.
"Accordingly NKG Infrastructure Ltd. (through its authorized representative) which is a Company, Tajinder Pal Singh and Devender Kumar Mittal, who have not been arrested in the present case be summoned and production warrants be issued against Accused Jagdish Kumar Arora and Anil Kumar Aggarwal, who are in custody in the present matter, through concerned Jail Superintendent to appear in person for facing the trial for the aforesaid offence, for the next date of hearing," the special judge ordered on April 3.
As per ED's complaint Accused NKG Infrastructure Ltd. got the tender for Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning (SITC) of electromagnetic flow meters and corresponding O&M Operations for five years which was floated by Delhi Jal Board through Notice Inviting Tender (NIT), on the basis of false performance certificates issued by Accused D.K. Mittal, the then General Manager (Faridabad Zone) NBCC (India Ltd.).
The ED has alleged that the work was sub-contracted to Integral Screw Industries Ltd., the Proprietorship Firm of Accused Anil Kumar Aggarwal.
It is also stated that out of the amount of Rs.24,74,71,376/- released by Delhi Jal Board to M/s NKG Infrastructure Ltd. against the work awarded to it, Rs. 10,62,22,694 was generated into proceeds of crime, and shared by NKG Infrastructure Ltd., Accused Anil Kumar Aggarwal, Accused Jagdish Kumar Arora, the then Chief Engineer, Delhi Jal Board who awarded the contract to M/s NKG Infrastructure Ltd., which was transferred/routed to him through Accused Tajinder Pal Singh.