PMLA noticee must get legible relied-upon documents and original inspection to ensure a meaningful reply opportunity.

In PMLA proceedings, a noticee must receive relied-upon documents in a legible and usable form, and where necessary must be allowed inspection of the original records. The Adjudicating Authority's duty to serve material under Section 8(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, read with Regulation 13(2) of the 2013 Procedure Regulations, is integral to a real and effective opportunity to respond. Service of the show cause notice alone is not enough if the supporting documents are cropped, illegible, or otherwise unusable. A meaningful hearing under Section 8(2) depends on proper supply of the material relied upon, and the time to file a reply may be extended accordingly.

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Issues: Whether the petitioner was entitled to inspection of the original documents and supply of legible copies of the relied-upon documents, and consequential extension of time to file a reply to the show cause notice under the PMLA.

Analysis: The petition challenged the inability to file an effective reply because several relied-upon documents supplied with the complaint were illegible or cropped. The Court relied on the principle that the Adjudicating Authority must serve all documents relied upon under Section 8(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, read with Regulation 13(2) of the Adjudicating Authority (Procedure) Regulations, 2013, so that the noticee receives a real and effective opportunity to answer the complaint. It noted that service of the show cause notice alone is insufficient where the documents forming the basis of the proceedings are not properly supplied, and that the hearing under Section 8(2) must be meaningful.

Conclusion: The petitioner was entitled to inspection of the original records and to obtain copies of the relied-upon documents, and the time to file the reply was extended accordingly.

Ratio Decidendi: In proceedings under the PMLA, a noticee must be furnished the relied-upon documents in a legible and usable form, with inspection of originals where necessary, because a meaningful opportunity to reply and be heard depends on proper service of the material relied upon by the Adjudicating Authority.

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