A bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy refused to concur with the submission buttressed by the companies that their properties cannot be forfeited without hearing them, as they have not been arrayed as accused.
"Having regard to the frame and content of the(Prevention of Corruption) Act and the limited modifications to the provisions of the CrPC, in their applicability as occasioned thereby and the authorisation of the special Judge trying the offences thereunder to exercise all the powers and functions invocable by a District Judge under the Ordinance, we are of the opinion that the order of confiscation/forfeiture of the properties standing in the name of six companies, as involved, made by the Trial Court is unexceptionable.
"The decisions cited on behalf of the respondents (Sasikala and others) on this issue, are distinguishable on facts and are of no avail to them," the apex court said.
The firms, which found mention in the trial court records, are Lex Property Development, Meadow Agro Farms Ltd, Riverway Agro Products Pvt Ltd, Ramraj Agro Mills Ltd, Signora Business Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Indo Doha Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd.
The firms claimed that they have been deprived of their right to be heard in the proceedings leading to confiscation of their assets.
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