Tracking money trail in Kodakara black money case, ED tells HC

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday informed a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that the investigation in the Kodakara black money case in which State BJP leaders are allegedly involved is in progress and that e¢orts are being made to ascertain the proceeds of the crime as well as the money trail in the case.

PIL moved by AAP

The ED made the submissions when a public interest litigation (PIL) led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kerala unit seeking to call for a report on the action taken on its representations for fast-tracking the probe by the ED and the Income Tax department in the case came up for hearing. The court reserved its verdict on the petition.

The ED, in a statement led in response to the petition, added that a meticulous investigation was required in such cases to nd out the money trail, the proceeds of crime (PoC) and persons involved and perpetrators of o¢ence of money laundering.

The case involved the offence of money laundering arising out of scheduled offence of dacoity. In fact, several persons have been questioned and their statements recorded, it said.

‘No locus standi’

The ED said the petition was a “clear abuse of the process of law”.

The PIL was neither maintainable in law nor tenable on facts as the petitioner was in no way connected with the alleged crime. Besides, a third party such as the petitioner had no locus standi to move such a PIL with respect to an investigation being conducted by competent authorities, it said.

Kodakara case

The Kodakara money heist pertains to a highway robbery, allegedly of ₹3.5 crore, in Kodakara town, near Chalakudy, in Thrissur on April 3, three days before the Assembly elections in 2021.