The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by real estate company Supertech’s chairman R. K. Arora, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
A single bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma dismissed Arora’s claim that his arrest on June 27 was “arbitrary and illegal” and that he was not informed of the grounds for his arrest.
The court stated that the ED had complied with the relevant provisions of the law by notifying Arora of the grounds for his arrest at the time of his detention. The court also noted that there was no violation of Arora’s fundamental rights and that he was not denied the right to consult with a legal practitioner.
Arora had argued that his arrest had jeopardized the interests of approximately 17,000 home buyers and a Settlement-cum-Resolution Plan approved by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. The court ruled that Arora could not be released on interim bail in the present proceedings and suggested arranging meetings through video conferencing if needed.
On August 24, the ED filed a charge sheet against Arora, his company, and eight others in a money laundering case, accusing them of cheating at least 670 home buyers of Rs 164 crore. The agency alleged that Supertech and its directors had diverted funds collected from home buyers for other purposes and defaulted on payments to banks and financial institutions.
