New Delhi: A Delhi court prolonged the judicial custody till December 7 for four individuals implicated in a money laundering case against Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo. Among the detained are Hari Om Rai, the Managing Director of Lava International, and a Chinese national, Guangwen alias Andrew Kuang. Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala extended their custody following an Enforcement Directorate plea.
Rai, Guangwen, along with chartered accountants Nitin Garg and Rajan Malik, constitute the group in custody. Advocate Nitesh Rana, representing Rai, contested the ED’s request, arguing against an automatic extension of custody, highlighting the absence of fresh evidence supporting the extension.
“The extension plea lacks fresh material. The request for custody is mechanical, devoid of allegations of non-cooperation against Hari Om Rai,” stated Rana in court. Last year, the agency conducted raids linked to the company, alleging a significant money laundering operation involving Chinese nationals and Indian entities.
The Enforcement Directorate claimed that Vivo transferred a staggering Rs 62,476 crore to China illicitly, purportedly evading Indian taxes.
(With input from agencies)