Utkarsh Anand
 
NEW DELHI: Coming as a jolt to controversial 'tantrik' Chandraswami, a Delhi court has framed charges against him and two associates in a case of illegal acquisition of foreign exchange under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.
 
"You (Chandraswami) during 1992, along with the co-accused, though not being an authorised dealer in foreign exchange, otherwise acquired it without the previous permission of Reserve Bank of India and, thereby, contravened the legal provisions of FERA punishable under the Act and within my cognizance," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kamini Lau said.
 
The court, in its Saturday's order, also charged Chandraswami with alleged transfer of unexplained foreign exchange to his account by the other accused without specific permission from the RBI.
 
Other accused in the case, Vikram Singh and Prakash Chandra Yadav, have also been charged under FERA for complicity in the offence.
 
The court, while framing the charges, relied on documents pertaining to transactions from the non-resident external account opened in the name of Akbar Virjee and his statements alleging involvement of Nemi Chand Jain alias Chandraswami, in the movement of foreign exchange in and out of India.
 
The accused have been booked under Section 8 (1) (prohibition on acquisition of foreign exchange) of FERA.
 
The prosecution has alleged that during 1992, Chandraswami, Singh and Yadav had unlawfully acquired and indulged in transactions of foreign exchange to the tune of $1,49,500 without RBI permission.