The Jharkhand High Court has rejected criminal revision petitions filed by the family members of former Jharkhand Minister Kamlesh Singh regarding a case involving disproportionate assets and money laundering. The order, issued by a bench led by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay on Wednesday, paves the way for the trial court to proceed with the case. The petitions were submitted by Kamlesh Singh’s son, daughter, son-in-law, and wife, challenging the ongoing legal proceedings against them.
The High Court’s decision lifts the stay on the trial court proceedings, enabling the special court to advance in the case where charges have already been framed. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), investigating the matter, alleges that Kamlesh Singh’s family members illicitly acquired assets during his ministerial tenure and attempted to legitimize them. The ED claims that around Rs 5.83 crore was laundered, with the case being registered on October 10, 2009.
Previously, a discharge petition filed by the accused was dismissed by the High Court in November 2017, leading to a subsequent criminal revision petition that has now been turned down. In 2017, Surya Sonal Singh and Narendra Mohan Singh were remanded to judicial custody by a special ED court in Ranchi, reinforcing the money laundering accusations. Following the latest High Court ruling, the trial in the special court is set to recommence, with the ED likely to present witnesses and documentary evidence in support of its case.
