The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned fashion designers Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi and Ritu Kumar in connection with a money laundering case. The ED has reportedly summoned the three designers to explain payments made in cash by a Punjab political leader. Their transactions with the political leader, who is an elected MLA, is said to have come to light during a money laundering investigation by the ED.
A case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been registered against him. Some documents that the ED have found during the investigation show that these designers had provided clothes for a wedding organised by the politician a few years ago. But the payments for those designer clothes, which ran into lakhs, were done in cash. They have been accused of violating income tax laws.