Delhi High Court Reviews Ved Pal Singh Tanwar’s Arrest in Haryana Illegal Mining Case
New Delhi, September 23: The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding Ved Pal Singh Tanwar’s plea challenging his arrest in a Haryana illegal mining case. Tanwar was arrested by the ED for money laundering related to illegal mining activities in the Dadam area of Haryana.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna has asked the ED to respond to the notice, with the next hearing scheduled for October 18. Tanwar, who was previously granted interim bail for 56 days on medical grounds, has filed the plea through advocates Sumer Singh Boparai and Aman Sharma. He is challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the trial court, seeking his release.
The plea argues that the arresting officer did not comply with mandatory requirements under Sections 19(1) and 19(2) of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA). It claims that the arrest was arbitrary and lacked proper reasoning, as the ‘reasons to believe’ were not provided.
The ED arrested Tanwar on May 30, 2024, following an investigation based on a complaint by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board. The complaint was filed against M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals for violating environmental clearance conditions, leading to an FIR by Haryana Police.
The ED’s investigation revealed large-scale illegal and unscientific mining in the Dadam area, causing significant environmental damage and financial loss. The illegal mining also resulted in the deaths of five people due to landslides. During a search on August 3, 2023, unaccounted cash, documents, jewelry worth Rs 3.7 crore, cash of Rs 26.45 lakh, and a Mercedes car worth Rs 1 crore were seized.
Tanwar, identified as a key managerial person, allegedly acquired mining rights illegally and conducted mining beyond permissible limits. The ED found that he gained Rs 37 crore from illegal mining, which he invested in various properties. Tanwar is accused of misleading the investigation, leading to his arrest and a 7-day remand in June.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big court in Delhi, India, where important legal cases are decided.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) -: The Enforcement Directorate is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Ved Pal Singh Tanwar -: Ved Pal Singh Tanwar is a person who was arrested because he was involved in illegal mining activities.
illegal mining -: Illegal mining means taking minerals from the ground without permission, which is against the law.
money laundering -: Money laundering is hiding where money came from, especially if it was earned illegally, to make it look like it was earned legally.
Dadam area -: The Dadam area is a place in Haryana, India, where the illegal mining happened.
arbitrary -: Arbitrary means something done without a good reason or without following the rules.
environmental damage -: Environmental damage means harm caused to nature, like cutting down trees or polluting rivers.
financial loss -: Financial loss means losing money, which can happen when illegal activities hurt businesses or the government.
Rs 37 crore -: Rs 37 crore is a large amount of money in Indian currency, equal to 370 million rupees.