Delhi Court extends ED custody of scribe by a day

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday extended by one day the custodial interrogation of journalist Upendra Rai by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions.

Chief Metropolitan Magi state Deepak Sherawat granted the remand to the agency after the Delhi-based scribe was produced before the  court on expiry of his five-day ED custody. Rai denied before the court all the allegations levelled against him by the agency.

The scribe submitted that he had started his career at the age of 26 and worked with big media houses.

The counsel appearing for the ED sought extension of Rai's custody, saying he was required to be confronted with the evidence collected during his earlier remand.

The agency had claimed before the court that “top secret documents” were recovered from Rai's possession and the ED was trying to find out how he procured them.

It alleged that the accused had extorted money from various person claiming he had information against them as he was a journalist. Thousands of crore of rupees was extorted, the ED has alleged. Rai was arrested on June 8 by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the Tihar jail here, moments after he secured bail in a CBI case related to alleged extortion and dubious financial transactions.

The agency had alleged that the scribe frequently travelled abroad to park his ill-gotten money and that his custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the larger conspiracy.

Rai was arrested by the CBI on May 3 for allegedly indulging in dubious financial transactions, getting an airport access pass made by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security by furnishing false information, alleged extortion and manipulation of an I-T department case against a businessman.

The SC had on May 4 refused to interfere with his arrest by the CBI. The ED had lodged a money laundering case against him based on the CBI FIR.