A Madras High Court judge today recused himself from hearing a petition filed by mining baron J Sekar Reddy, seeking to quash a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against him, pending before a lower court here.
Justice M S Ramesh directed the registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice for placing it before some other judge.
Reddy is at present out on bail in connection with the seizure of Rs 99 crore in demonetised bank notes and another Rs 34 crore in new currencies, besides a 127 kg gold bar, from properties owned by him and his associates in December last year.
The mining baron submitted that the case against him had been filed by the Enforcement Directorate relying on the investigation done by other agencies.
He further contended that the entire basis of the complaint was the FIR registered by the CBI, based on the information of the Income Tax department.
Reddy submitted that the complaint filed by the ED was without jurisdiction, premature and ultra vires of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
He contended that no offence was made out against him, and that the case was "vitiated, illegal and void".
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