Attachment of Property Suspected to Belong to Former Don Stayed
Bengaluru: The enforcement directorate (ED) of the government of India had suspected that some landed properties located in Mangaluru and Bengaluru had been purchased in proxy names by former underworld don Bannanje Raja through earnings from criminal activities.
The ED had ordered attachment of these properties, which had been registered in the names of Danny Antony Paul, Lawrence Paul and Anita Doreen Fernandes.
However, these three individuals submitted that they had not involved themselves in any criminal activity and being non-resident Indians they had invested their earnings in India out of love for their country.
They further said that they had all proper documents in proof of the legitimate purchases.
They alleged that the ED had not properly verified the documents and had intentionally tried to implicate them.
Hence they pleaded for the cancellation of the order of attachment of the properties.
The court heard their argument and stayed the attachment order. It also ordered that notices be served on the ED and the government of India.
The applicants’ case was argued in the HC by advocates Manmohan P V and Uday Holla, with support from advocate Mayura Keerti from Mangaluru.