Vivo ED case: Delhi HC asks accused executives not to leave the country

Vivo executives asked by the Delhi High Court to not leave the country

The Delhi High Court on January 3 directed the three Vivo-India executives, who were granted bail in late December on money laundering charges, not to leave the country. Furthermore, the executives have been asked to file an undertaking in this regard.

The HC further asked the executives to report to the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) every Monday and Friday till January 11, the day the case is expected to be heard. Vivo's executives have been given time to respond to ED's appeal.

On January 2, ED filed an appeal against a Delhi court order that directed the release of three vivo-India executives taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

On December 30, a court in Delhi court granted relief to the Vivo executives observing that the accused were not produced before the court within 24 hours of the arrest, hence their "custody was illegal". The trio had claimed that they were arrested on December 21 and not on December 22 as recorded by the ED.

The court of Vacation Judge Dr Shirish Aggarwal at Patiala House, however, imposed a condition that the three -- Chinese national and interim CEO of vivo-India Hong Xuquan alias Terry, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Harinder Dahiya and consultant Hemant Munjal -- will have to report to the federal agency's office everyday till January 3. This was done on the plea of the ED that told the court that it fears that the accused may "tamper with evidence and influence witnesses" and that it wants to appeal this order before the Delhi High Court soon after the HC opens after winter vacations on January 3.

On December 23, the ED arrested three Vivo-India executives in connection with its money laundering probe against the Chinese smartphone maker and some others.

The company, in a statement, said it was "deeply alarmed by the current action of the authorities." "The recent arrests demonstrate continued harassment and as such induce an environment of uncertainty amongst the wider industry landscape. We are resolute in using all legal avenues to address and challenge these accusations," a vivo spokesperson said.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier arrested four people -- mobile company Lava International's MD Hari Om Rai, Chinese national Guangwen alias Andrew Kuang, and chartered accountants Nitin Garg and Rajan Malik -- in the case. They are in judicial custody at present.