Mumbai, February 26: A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Friday declared two sons and the wife of late gangster Iqbal Mirchi as fugitive economic offenders in a money laundering case. The ED had, in December, moved an application under section 4 read with section 12 of Fugitive Economic Offenders Act of 2018 seeking that the court "declare Junaid Iqbal Memon and Asif Iqbal Memon (sons of Mirchi) and Hajra Memon (wife) as fugitive economic offenders".

The special court allowed the plea and directed the Enforcement Directorate to seize their properties in India and abroad after following the due process of law. The ED filed a money laundering case against Mirchi, who died at the age of 63 in London in 2013, his family and others last year after studying multiple Mumbai police FIRs lodged against them.

As per the agency, Mirchi "indirectly owned various properties in and around Mumbai". It filed a criminal case against Mirchi and others to probe money laundering charges linked to their alleged illegal dealings in the purchase and sale of costly real estate assets in Mumbai.

Properties worth about Rs 798 crore have been attached by the agency till now in this case. An open ended non-bailable warrant has also been issued against the three kin of Mirchi after a charge sheet was filed against them by the ED.

The three are stated to be abroad and have evaded ED summonses and court-issued warrants. Under the FEO Act, a person can be declared a fugitive economic offender if a warrant has been issued against him for an offence involving an amount of Rs 100 crore or more and he has left the country and refuses to return.

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