The PMLA court has dismissed “Discharge” petition filed by two accused -Rajesh Kumar Singhania and Mahavir Prasad Rungta in a money laundering case linked to illegal transportation of iron ore in Jharkhand. 

They had filed the petition under 1973 Cr.P.C “Discharge‟ applications seeking remedy provided to accused who have been charged “maliciously”.  

Arguing that the ED had filed the false allegations, they had sought discharge from the ED’s allegations. But the PMLA court, after hearing their pleas, had kept its verdict pending on April 12 only to make it public today when it declared that their petitions were dismissed. 

Enforcement Directorate (ED)had booked them including Rungta who owned Rungta Projects Limited (RPL). He and his six employees were grilled in connection with a Chiabasa police complaint of 2009 when four company trucks were seized for transporting iron ore using fake challans. 

Two ED officers handed over the notice to a company employee at RPL's office on Bariatu Road, Ranchi. None of them spoke to the media, but, the ED notice had directed RPL to ensure the physical appearance and verification of as many as six employees who were listed as directors and additional directors of RPL's sister concerns. 

As per records of the ministry of corporate affairs, RPL is the flagship company with as many as 64 entities listed under it with interests in coal, steel, transport and other industries. 

ED was investigating the alleged money laundering and other criminal aspects in the 2009 Chaibasa case in which fake district mining department challans were used to transport iron ore. 

Police had lodged an FIR against RPL company Anindita Steel and its director Dipak Rungta. In 2010, Chaibasa police had lodged another similar case against the company.Later, ED took up the case, investigated and booked the above accused.

-----------------------------Advertisement------------------------------------