Above: Moin Qureshi was arrested on August 25, 2017 under the provisions of PMLA. Illustration: Anthony Lawrence

The Delhi High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru on Friday (September 8) felt that the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) request that lookout notices issued against hawala accused Moin Qureshi’s wife and daughter were needed, was unfair. The court asked the ED to withdraw the circular within a week.

Nasreen Moin Qureshi, wife of the accused, had approached the court, challenging the notice issued against her in connection with a money laundering case.

Moin Qureshi was arrested on August 25, 2017 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), because he was not cooperating in the probe. He is currently in ED custody.

Earlier last week, Moin Qureshi approached Delhi High Court challenging his own arrest by the ED. On his plea, the bench of Justices Siddarth Mridul and Nazim Waziri had issued a notice to the ED, to prove whether the arrest was lawful or not.

On Friday, counsel R K Handoo submitted that the lookout notice issued by the ED pertains to Nasreen Moin Qureshi and her daughter.

The bench asked the counsel for the ED: “Are they involved in the investigation?”

ED’s counsel said no.

The bench asked: “So how can you issue a lookout notice against them?”

The court order said: “This court found this request unreasonable and in view of the above the circular should be withdrawn within one week.”

—India Legal Bureau