The Supreme Court has dismissed the Special Leave Petition filed by Amnesty International India against the Enforcement Directorate’s attachment of its bank accounts, observing that the PMLA Adjudicating Authority passed a provisional attachment order on October 7 this year, in this regard.
The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit, while reserving the right of Amnesty to challenge the provisional attachment order passed by PMLA, dismissed the SLP.
However, the Apex Court noted that the dismissal of Amnesty’s petition should not be viewed as a reflection on merits or demerits of rival contentions.
In its October 7 order, the PMLA Adjudicating Authority had directed to attach three bank accounts of Amnesty, having balance of Rs 1,54,03,992.30, along with the accrued interest, under Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
As per the order of attachment, which would remain effective for 180 days, the Organisation has been prohibited from transferring, removing or disposing of the amounts attached.
The continuation of the order would be subject to the confirmation order passed by the Authority, it added.
Amnesty International India had moved the Apex Court against the Karnataka High Court order, which had directed the human rights organisation to approach the PMLA Adjudicating Authority for complete relief, while allowing it to withdraw Rs 60 lakh to meet the expenses.
The order was passed by a Single Bench of the High Court on December 16, 2020.
As per Amnesty, the High Court had refused to go into the substantive points of challenge raised against the attachment order.
Amnesty India had stopped its operations in the country following the attachment of its bank accounts.
(Case title: M/s Indians for Amnesty International Trust vs Union of India and others)