Sivagami Aachi .R.M v. The Registrar
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 19.02.2024
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE DR.JUSTICE G.JAYACHANDRAN THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.KUMARAPPAN W.P.(MD)No.27391 of 2023 1.R.M.Sivagami Aachi 2.P.L.Muthuveerappan ... Petitioners -Vs1.The Registrar, Appellate Tribunal, Prevention of Money Laundering, 2.The Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement, Government of India, III Floor, C-Block, Murugesan Naicker Complex, No.84, Greams Lights, Chennai-600 006.
... Respondents PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the first respondent to dispose of the appeals in FPAPMLA-4983/CHN/2022 and FPA-PMLA-6326.CHN/2023 in O.C.No.674/2017 filed by the petitioners respectively pending on its file within the stipulated time fixed by this Court.
For Petitioner : Mr.Issac Mohanlal Senior Counsel for Mr.V.Baskaran For R1 : Mr.K.Govindarajan Deputy Solicitor General of India For R2 : Mr.R.Vijayarajan Standing Counsel
ORDER
DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.
C.KUMARAPPAN, J.
The pathetic case of the writ petitioner is well exposed in the affidavit, which is filed in support of the writ petition seeking mandamus directing the first respondent to dispose of the appeals in FPA-PMLA-4983/CHN/2022 and FPAPMLA-6326.CHN/2023 in O.C.No.674/2017 pending on the file of the first respondent, namely the Appellate Tribunal, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2.Without adverting to the merits of the case, this Court wants to record that in the year 2016, the Enforcement Directorate initiated proceedings invoking the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and consequently, interim attachment of the properties of the petitioners was made. Being aggrieved, already two rounds of litigations were fought and presently, the matter is pending before the first respondent.
3.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners states that the first petitioner is already 96 years old and she wants to see the logical end of the litigation in which her properties were attached. 4.This Court finds justification in her request and therefore, this writ petition is disposed of directing the first respondent to give priority to the case of the petitioners considering the age of the first petitioner and the long pendency of the petitioners' case and dispose it of as expeditiously as possible. 5.The learned counsel for the second respondent states that the next hearing of the appeals is fixed on 03.04.2024. We hope that the first respondent, taking note of the age of the first petitioner and the grievance expressed by the petitioners regarding long pendency of the matter, will dispose of the appeals filed by the petitioners within a reasonable time. No costs. [G.J.J.,] & [C.K.J.,] 19.02.2024 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No ta
DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.
C.KUMARAPPAN, J.
ta To 1.The Registrar, Appellate Tribunal, Prevention of Money Laundering, 2.The Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement, Government of India, III Floor, C-Block, Murugesan Naicker Complex, No.84, Greams Lights, Chennai-600 006.
W.P.(MD)No.27391 of 2023 19.02.2024