Proposal for Call interception processed through Chitra Ramkrishna: ED tells Delhi HC; Opposes former NSE CEO's bail plea

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Synopsis

NSE MD Chitra Ramkrishna is accused of cheating NSE and its employees between 2009 and 2017. It has been alleged that for the purpose of tapping, iSEC Services Pvt Ltd, was engaged for the illegal interception of phone calls of NSE employees.

The Enforcement Directorate has told the Delhi High Court that the proposal for call interception and monitoring was processed through former National Stock Exchange (NSE) Managing Director and CEO Chitra Ramkrishna.

The submission has been made in Ramkrishna's bail application in the money laundering case involving illegal phone tapping and snooping of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) employees. It has been alleged that Ramkrishna cheated NSE and its employees between 2009 and 2017.

In the affidavit, the ED has alleged that iSEC Services Pvt Ltd was engaged in the illegal interception of phone calls of NSE employees for which it was paid huge sums of money.

Advocate Zoheb Hossain appearing for the Enforcement Directorate submitted before the bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh that several employees of NSE have corroborated that Ramkrishna used to identify numbers and the same has also been accepted by her. 

Hossain further argued that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act allows the court to grant bail to the accused only in certain cases which include women, but the same is not a thumb rule.

Earlier, Senior Advocate Rebecca John appearing for Ramkrishna had submitted that the current Managing Director is on bail on the ground that his wife has stage III cancer, whereas, Ramkrishna has been in jail for the last 3 months in this case.

John, for Ramakrishna, had argued, "As far as I'm (Ramkrishna) concerned, the scheduled offense is 420... and 72, even at this stage, for these offenses one need not have a locus standi. The person reporting the matter under 420 should be the one aggrieved by the offence".

"After going through all the contracts and agreements for the installation of the Monitoring System, to say that NSE was induced would be a complete fallacy in the facts and circumstances of this case," John had contented.

On July 14 this year, the ED arrested Ramkrishna who had previously been arrested by the CBI in connection with the alleged NSE co-location scam.

Case Title: Chitra Ramkrishna Vs. Assistant Director, Enforcement Directorate