Court Clears Central Railway Officials in Alleged Money Laundering Case

The Special Court has accepted the Enforcement Directorate's closure report in a money laundering case involving Central Railway officials. The predicate offence, initially under investigation by the CBI, was closed due to insufficient evidence, leading the court to dismiss the money laundering charges under PMLA guidelines.

The Special Court here has given the green light to the Enforcement Directorate's closure report in an alleged money laundering case against Central Railway officials. The decision was influenced by the closure of the predicate offence, initially under CBI scrutiny, which cited lack of substantial evidence.

The case originated from an FIR by the CBI on February 4, 2022, charging eight Central Railway officials with conspiring alongside suppliers to procure overpriced parts for personal gain. Key figures in the allegations included Ved Prakash and Vijay Kumar.

Investigations pointed to anomalies like ambiguous tender descriptions and sourcing from unregistered suppliers. However, without strong evidence, the CBI's closure report was accepted by a Special Court last January, prompting Special Judge RB Rote to conclude the ED's linked investigation on December 1.

(With inputs from agencies.)