Court takes cognisance of fresh ED charge sheet against Upendra Rai

A Delhi court on Saturday took cognisance of a fresh charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against jailed-journalist Upendra Rai in a money laundering case.

Additional Sessions judge Rakesh Syal, who is likely to pronounce the order on Rai's bail plea on November 1, said there was enough evidence to proceed on the ED's supplementary charge sheet accusing the scribe of laundering around Rs 23 crore.

The ED's charge sheet, filed by special public prosecutors N K Matta and Nitesh Rana, has sought his prosecution for money laundering.

During the proceedings, the ED handed over the copy of the charge sheet to Rai, after which the court fixed the next date of hearing on November 1.

In an earlier charge sheet in the case, the ED had alleged that Rai projected over Rs 29 crore worth of properties, which he generated through "blackmail" and "extortion" as a scribe, as untainted.

The Delhi-based journalist was arrested by the agency for alleged money laundering, punishable under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

It had said that Rai was a journalist, who crafted leverage out of his access to government offices as a mediaperson.

The agency further said Rai used the "ill-gotten" money to acquire various movable and immovable properties in his or in the name of his family members, in his personal and travel expenses, and also used it to repay loans taken from financial organisations to acquire various properties.

Rai was arrested on June 8 by the ED under the PMLA at the Tihar jail here, moments after he secured bail in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions.

The ED had registered the money laundering case against him based on the CBI FIR related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions.