In a major setback for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the special judge for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases in Gurgaon has declined its request to declare Haryana Congress MLA from Samalkha Dharam Singh Chhoker and his son Vikas as proclaimed offenders in a money laundering case pertaining to real estate firm Mahira Homes.

While dismissing the applications moved by the ED, district and sessions court judge Subhas Mehla — also the designated special judge for the PMLA cases — however maintained that the agency is at liberty to get the arrest warrants of the accused issued to continue its investigations.

The orders issued on Saturday were uploaded by the court on Monday. The cause of action dates back to Sept last year when the ED had initiated the proceedings against the accused. Initially, it had got the arrest warrants issued against Chhoker, his sons Sikandar and Vikas for siphoning off or illegal diversion of crores of rupees of investors.
While the three fought the legal battle to get an interim relief from courts, the ED, meanwhile, had been able to get custody of Sikandar but Dharam and Vikas were still at large.