The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested three advocates on late Thursday evening in a money laundering case related to the Patna Railway Claims Tribunal scam.
The arrests came after searches on January 22 at four locations connected to Judge RK Mittal and the advocates involved. These searches took place in Patna, Nalanda, and Mangalore.
The three advocates arrested are Bidyanand Singh, Parmanand Sinha, and Vijay Kumar. The ED accuses them of being involved in money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. They were presented in a special PMLA court and sent to judicial custody.
The investigation began after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed First Information Reports (FIRs). These reports pointed to irregularities and illegal activities in cases handled by the Patna Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT).
FIRs were filed against unknown railway employees and the three advocates, accusing them of corruption and criminal activities under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The FIRs revealed that in accidental death claims, victims or their families received only part of the money awarded to them. The rest of the money was taken by the conspirators.
Also Read: BPSC protests: Bihar Guv urges Prashant Kishor to end 'fast'
The ED's investigation showed that advocate Bidyanand Singh and his team, including advocates Parmanand Sinha and Vijay Kumar, handled about 900 cases where Judge RK Mittal issued orders for compensation. Around ?50 crore in total was awarded in these cases.
It was found that the advocates secretly opened and operated bank accounts in the names of the claimants. They used the claimants' signatures and thumbprints to transfer the compensation money to their own accounts or withdraw it as cash. Only a small part of the compensation was then given to the claimants.
During the searches, the ED found evidence of assets owned by the advocates and the judge. They also recovered blank signed cheques, signed papers from claimants, and other important documents.
This case highlights the illegal activities behind the Patna Railway Claims Tribunal scam and the role of the Enforcement Directorate in uncovering such money laundering cases.
Also Read: Nitish meets Om Birla in Patna for key discussions
Follow us
