Mumbai Special PMLA Court Refuses To Discharge Andheri Woman In ₹225-Crore Malaika Co-Op Money Laundering Case

Mumbai, Feb 17: The Special PMLA Court has refused to discharge Andheri resident Elcy Rodrigues, an alleged close aide of Gilbert Baptist, in a Rs 225-crore money laundering case linked to the Malaika Multistate Credit Co-operative Society (MMCCS).

Baptist is accused of cheating 12,372 depositors in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Rodrigues was a director of Malaika Appliances Pvt Ltd (MAPL) with a 10.18% stake. She also served as treasurer of MMCCS for a period before being appointed its secretary.

Prosecution’s case

The prosecution alleged that despite having only a 10th-grade education, she was made an office-bearer and paid a salary of Rs 85,000 per month without performing any effective work or possessing technical expertise.

Public Prosecutor Arvind Aghav contended that Baptist assisted her in acquiring three properties worth Rs 1.65 crore in her name. The prosecution claimed she received approximately Rs 78.15 lakh through various entities run by Baptist.

Defence argument

In her defence, Rodrigues claimed she had been falsely implicated and that there was no mens rea (guilty mind) on her part.

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Court’s observations

The court, however, noted that, according to the Enforcement Directorate, the applicant is a direct beneficiary of the proceeds of crime.

Describing the matter as a serious economic offence affecting the socio-economic condition of society, the court stated that the defence’s arguments cannot be considered at this stage.

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