New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Alleged conman Sanjay Prakash Rai alias Sanjay Sherpuria urged a Delhi court on Monday to prosecute businessman Gaurav Dalmia and his wife Sharmila in a money laundering case lodged against him.
Rai made the submission during the hearing of his bail application in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Rai, who cheated several people by claiming himself to be close to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), senior bureaucrats and politicians, “duped” Gaurav Dalmia and his family of Rs 12 crore by instilling in him the fear of arrest in an ongoing investigation by the ED.
An amount of Rs 6 crore from the total sum was allegedly received in the bank account of the Youth Rural Entrepreneur Foundation (YREF), of which Rai was a signatory, in January 2023 from Dalmia Family Office Trust wherein Gaurav Dalmia is a trustee, the ED said. Rai is alleged to have forged documents in respect of the payment to conceal the true nature of transactions.
Advocate Nitesh Rana, representing the accused, told the court that his client cannot be prosecuted alone.
“If Sanjay Rai Sherpuria has committed the offence of money laundering, then Gaurav Dalmia, Sharmila Dalmia and son of the Dalmia group have also committed the offence. Sanjay Rai Sherpuria alone can’t be prosecuted. Prosecute Dalmia family also,” Rana told the court.
The counsel claimed the entire case was a “figment of imagination” of the investigating agency and there was no evidence against Rai.
He told the court the accused was no longer required for investigation since the probe was already complete and the charge sheet filed.
The counsel told the court that Rai will abide by any condition imposed upon him if he got bail.
The ED had on August 2 filed the charge sheet against Rai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The money laundering case stems from an FIR registered by Lucknow Police alleging that Rai projected himself as close to senior politicians and bureaucrats, and duped the general public of big sums of money. He also claimed he was an influencer, a social worker and associated with the PMO.
The ED had arrested Rai a few months ago after it conducted searches at 42 locations in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Ghazipur, Pune and Gandhidham. PTI UK SK SK
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