The High Court (HC) of Kerala has said that the special court for trying Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, Ernakulam, ought to wait until the HC passed further directions, before releasing amounts from the ₹10 crore that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached from the Dr. Somerwell Memorial CSI Medical College and Hospital, Karakonam, Thiruvananthapuram, to candidates who had paid money for MBBS seats .
The court further sought instructions from the ED on the same, since it had distributed ₹80 lakh to six candidates who reportedly lost money in the MBBS admission scam linked to the medical college.
Petitioners’ stance
The order came on a plea by the South Kerala Medical Mission which has administrative control over the medical college and hospital, and Bennet Abraham, director of the medical college and hospital, citing that the money was not handed over to candidates as per PMLA norms. There must be a conclusion of trial and the property must be confiscated by the Centre, and the special court had to direct the Centre to restore the property to the claimant, as per the PMLA. In this case, the trial has not concluded and the attached amount is not confiscated by the Centre, they contended
They further said that no restoration order ought to be passed by the special court, without giving an opportunity of being heard to the owner of the property and the publication of notice in two newspapers, as per the Prevention of Money Laundering (Restoration of Confiscated Property) Rules 2016.
They contended that ₹60 lakh was given to one Rajan Prasad on the basis of a ‘false claim’. The court posted the case for hearing on April 3.
Published – March 07, 2025 06:52 pm IST
