RASHMI SALUJA vs DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT AND ANR

Judgment text excerpt

WP.2538 & 2254-2025.doc JVS/Panchal IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 2538 OF 2025 Dr. Rashmi Saluja } Petitioner versus State of Maharashtra & Anr. } Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 2254 OF 2025 Dr. Rashmi Saluja } Petitioner versus Directorate of Enforcement } Respondent Mr. Amit Anand Tiwari, Senior Advocate (through VC) with Mr. Avinash Tripathi, Mr. Sankalp A. Sharma, Mr. Ameya Vaidya, Advocates for the Petitioner in both petitions. Mr. Zohaib Hussain (through VC) with Ms. Pranjal Tripathi and Mr. Anil D. Yadav, Advocates for Directorate of Enforcement. Mr. S. V. Gavand, APP for State in WP/2538/2025. CORAM: SHREE CHANDRASHEKHAR, CJ. & GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, J. Reserved on: 11th December 2025 Pronounced on: 23rd January 2026 JUDGMENT Per, Shree Chandrashekhar, CJ.: These writ petitions have been filed by Dr. Rashmi Saluja who was the Executive Chairman and Key Managerial Person of Religare Enterprises Limited (in short, REL). She is aggrieved by the registration of a First Information Report (in short, FIR) on 6th September 2024 vide FIR No.355 of 2024. This FIR is under challenge in Criminal Writ Petition No. 2538 of 2025. As a sequitur to this, the petitioner is seeking quashing of ECIR/MBZO-I/27/ 1 WP.2538 & 2254-2025.doc 2024 registered by the Directorate of Enforcement (in short, ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (in short, PMLA) in Criminal Writ Petition No. 2254 of 2025. 2. A crime was registered at the Matunga Police Station on 11th November 2023 on the basis of a complaint filed by Vaibhav Jalinder Gawali. In this First Information Report vide FIR No.483 of 2023, the complainant who is a public shareholder of the REL stated that the former directors of the REL, namely, Malvinder M