Statutory appellate remedy under PMLA barred writ review, sending parties to the Appellate Tribunal

A writ petition challenging an attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was not entertained because the order was appealable to the Appellate Tribunal under the statutory scheme. With the Tribunal constituted and the appellate remedy available in law, the petitioners were relegated to that forum, and the merits of the attachment order were left open. The matter was disposed of by directing pursuit of the statutory appeal, without adjudication on the substance of the challenge.

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Issues: Whether the writ petition should be entertained when an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 was available.

Analysis: The impugned attachment order was appealable to the Appellate Tribunal under the statutory scheme. As the Tribunal had been constituted, the petitioners were relegated to the appellate forum to pursue the remedy available in law, and all contentions were left open.

Conclusion: The writ petition was not entertained and the petitioners were directed to avail the appellate remedy before the Appellate Tribunal.

Final Conclusion: The matter was disposed of by directing the petitioners to pursue the statutory appeal, without any adjudication on the merits of the attachment order.

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