PMLA court clears Nalini Chidambaram of money laundering charges

Kolkata: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Kolkata dismissed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) allegation against Senior Advocate Nalini Chidambaram, which was related to the Saradha Chit Fund controversy. Judge Prashanta Mukhopadhyay determined that there was no prima facie evidence of money laundering or a case under Section 3 of the PMLA against Chidambaram. The ED said that Chidambaram got Rs. 1.349 crore from Sudipta Sen's enterprises between June 11, 2010 and June 17, 2012, without sufficient documentation.

The ED claimed that Chidambaram did not issue bills for these payments and failed to respond adequately to summons. In response, Chidambaram's defense argued that her ties with Sen were limited to Manoranjana Sinh's TV business, and Saradha Reality India Ltd. provided payments on Sinh's behalf. They further stated that the payments were made via cheque, and there was no written arrangement with Sen's entities.

The prosecution argued that Chidambaram could not provide evidence of her services to Saradha or Sinh. They also cited allegations from Naresh Balodia, an advocate for the Saradha Group, who stated that Chidambaram's expenses were covered by the group. The court investigated whether the payments could be deemed proceeds of crime. It concluded that since Chidambaram was fulfilling her duties as a legal counsellor, the fees and accompanying expenses were not a criminal crime under the PMLA. The judge highlighted that service tax and billing are concerns for other authorities, not the ED. The court dropped Chidambaram's lawsuit after finding no proof of wrongdoing.