On November 22, 2023, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) filed a Prosecution Complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 against Arjuna Kumar Kar and his accomplices, Manas Ranjan Parichha, Maheswar Sahoo, and Santosh Kumar Dash, in the Cum- Special Court (PMLA), Bhubaneswar, at the Court of the Ld. Sessions Judge, Khurda. The ED is pleading for the conviction of the aforementioned accused individuals who are allegedly involved in the commission of money laundering. On April 12, 2023, the Hon’ble Special Court of the PMLA, Bhubaneswar, took cognizance.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, various sections against Arjuna Kumar Kar and three others regarding possession of 1 kg 749 gm of contraband “brown sugar,” chemically known as “6 monoacetyl morphine,” worth Rs. 1.5 Crore, and its recovery during their personal search, served as the basis for the ED’s investigation. The charge sheet and FIR were filed by the Special Task Force, Crime Branch, Bhubaneswar.
According to the ED’s investigation, the accused individuals used to buy brown sugar from drug dealers in the West Bengali district of Murshidabad in order to make money illegally. Arjuna Kumar Kar, the primary culprit, has also admitted to being involved in the brown sugar industry.
