SC Slams 'Rich Accused' for Abusing Law, Rejects Plea Challenging PMLA Provision

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The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by lawyer Gautam Khaitan, who is facing money laundering charges in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, challenging the validity of a key provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court expressed its disapproval of a growing trend where affluent accused challenge the law while their trials are ongoing. The provision in question, Section 44, aims to prevent jurisdictional conflicts and streamline trials by transferring cases to designated special courts dealing with money laundering offenses. The court has already agreed to examine the validity of the PMLA provisions in review petitions arising from its earlier judgment in the Vijay Madanlal case. As a result, it declined to entertain Khaitan's separate writ petition, while granting permission to his lawyer, Siddharth Luthra, to intervene in the ongoing review proceedings. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasized that the rich and affluent should face trials like ordinary citizens, rather than challenging the law as a means to evade accountability.