New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has sought the Enforcement Directorate's stand on a petition by Nayan Raheja, son of the chairman of Raheja Developers, seeking to quash a 2022 money laundering case against him arising from delayed delivery of around 4,600 flats to homebuyers.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice to the investigating agency as well as the central government and said, "Let them take instructions and file the status report." In the order passed on July 30, the judge also took on record the petitioner's undertaking that he would fully cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and listed the case for hearing on October 15.

The allegations in the case are that Raheja Developers Ltd collected funds of Rs 2699.13 crore from around 4,600 homebuyers but diverted Rs 1353.26 crore for non-construction purposes.

The case against the petitioner is that he received Rs. 1.23 crore from the proceeds of crime.

Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for the petitioner in the court.

The petitioner, an architect, contended that continuation of proceedings against him in the absence of any scheduled offence or criminal intent attributable to him was a gross abuse of the process of law and in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The plea, filed through law firm Karanjawala & Co, stated that the petitioner was made an accused in the ECIR even though in two of the three predicate FIRs, the police have already exonerated him and filed charge sheets without arraying him as an accused.

In the third FIR, the case has been settled with the aggrieved party, it added. PTI ADS ZMN

Money-laundering proceedings face challenge over absent predicate offence, alleged lack of criminal intent, and treatment of related FIRs. Money-laundering proceedings linked to alleged diversion of homebuyer funds are challenged on the ground that no scheduled offence or criminal intent is attributable to the petitioner. The petitioner relies on his asserted exoneration in two predicate FIRs, where charge sheets did not name him, and settlement of the remaining FIR. Notice was issued for a response and status report, and the petitioner undertook to cooperate with the investigation.