ED arrests journalist in money laundering case

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 3

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today said it had arrested freelance journalist Rajeev Sharama under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a case relating to his alleged involvement in the leak and supply of sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers.

Officials said, after the arrest, which took place on July 1, Sharma was produced in a special local court here, which granted the agency seven-day custody of the accused.

The ED later said its probe found that Sharma (62) “had supplied confidential and sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers, in exchange for remuneration, thereby compromising the security and national interests of India”.

“It was further revealed that cash for remuneration of Sharma and other unknown persons was being generated through ‘hawala’ by Mahipalpur-based (an area in Delhi) shell companies that were run by Chinese nationals Zhang Cheng (alias Suraj), Zhang Lixia (alias Usha) and Quing Shi, along with Nepal national Sher Singh (alias Raj Bohara),” the ED alleged.

A number of other transactions with various Chinese companies and some trading firms in India are also being examined by the agency.

“These Chinese companies were acting as a conduit for the Chinese intelligence agencies to provide remuneration for persons like Sharma, who indulged in criminal activities,” the ED said. Sharma also received money through “benami bank accounts” with a purpose of concealing his involvement in criminal activities, it added.

The ED case is based on a Delhi Police FIR filed under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and various sections of the IPC against Sharma last year, after which he was arrested by the special cell on September 14, 2020.