TNN, Feb 2, 2011, 11.27pm IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/PMLA-court-allows-ED-to-grill-ex-minister/articleshow/7414368.cms

RANCHI: A special court on Wednesday granted permission to the enforcement directorate (ED) to interrogate former minister Kamlesh Singh, an accused in  money laundering case.

Judge G K Singh of the special court, set up by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), granted the permission to the ED to interrogate the former minister either at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) or at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). The petition was moved by the agency.

Following the court's order, a team of ED officials which came from Delhi a couple of days ago started interrogating Singh from 4pm. The interrogation continued till late in the evening. According to sources, Singh refused to answer most of the questions and did not accept that he had acquired any assets illegally.

The special court also directed the RIMS director, AIIMS director and the Birsa Munda Central Jail superintendent to help ED officials interrogate Singh.

Special public prosecutor S R Das pleaded for the permission saying that the investigation into the money laundering case was near completion and only the statements of the accused were needed to be recorded to file the chargesheet against him.

The ED has to file chargesheet against Singh by February 13 in the money laundering case as 60 days of his remand will be over by then. If it fails to file the chargesheet by then, he may get bail in the case.

The agency had taken Singh on remand on January 5 and Singh is since then undergoing treatment at the RIMS for high blood pressure and diabetes.

On January 24, a medical board of the RIMS referred Singh to the AIIMS for advance treatment. The special court had earlier rejected Singh's bail plea.