Kolkata, 13 February (H.S.): A court in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal has acquitted alternative cancer therapy practitioner Aradeep Chatterjee of all charges related to alleged false claims about his profession. Following the verdict, a special court dealing with cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) also discharged him from money laundering charges.
Chatterjee was arrested in June 2017 on allegations that he had been unlawfully earning money by treating cancer patients. He was booked under multiple sections, including cheating by impersonation, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and abetment. In August 2017, his father, homoeopathic practitioner Ashim Kumar Chatterjee, was also arrested for allegedly assisting him.
Based on charge sheets filed by the state police, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money laundering case in 2017. Subsequently, properties and bank accounts linked to the accused were attached, and a prosecution complaint was filed before the Special ED Court at Bichar Bhavan, Kolkata, under various provisions of the PMLA. Aradeep Chatterjee was granted bail in January 2018, while his father secured bail from a competent court thereafter.
During the trial, the Fast Track-I Court in Barasat observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. In its judgment, the Additional Sessions Judge noted that the prosecution could not substantiate the charges and that the accused were therefore entitled to acquittal.
In view of the acquittal in the predicate offence, the Special ED Court at Bichar Bhavan also discharged both accused from the money laundering case, observing that the proposed charges appeared groundless after the competent court’s order of acquittal.
According to Chatterjee’s lawyers, the savings that had been attached by the ED and police as alleged proceeds of crime have been released and returned to him along with accrued interest.
Reacting to the verdict, Aradeep Chatterjee expressed faith in the judiciary, stating that the judgment affirms that he complied with all laws of the land. He added that the decision reflects the strength of India’s Constitution in safeguarding citizens’ rights and ensuring justice.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
