Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra in a money laundering case.
Justice Jasmeet Singh gave Chandra relief after noting that the trial is yet to begin and there is no likelihood of its completion soon.
“There are 17 accused persons, 66 companies, 121 witnesses and 77,812 pages of documents, plus enormous digital data which need to be analysed in the present case. Thus, there is no likelihood of the trial being concluded in the near future,” the court said.
The court asked Chandra to furnish a personal bond with a surety of Rs 1 lakh to the satisfaction of the trial court. “The petitioner shall appear before the court as and when the matter is taken up for hearing unless exempted from personal appearance. The petitioner shall not indulge in any criminal activity during the bail period.”
The court also asked Chandra to provide his mobile number to the investigating officer (IO), which shall be kept in working condition at all times. It instructed him not to switch off or change the number without informing the IO.
“In case the petitioner changes his address, he will inform the IO concerned and this court also. The petitioner shall not leave the country during the bail period and surrender his passport,” it added.
In Oct 2021, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Chandra, his daughter-in-law Preeti, and real estate promoter Rajesh Malik as it probed Unitech Group under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Chandra, an octogenarian, was granted interim bail by the high court in July 2022. This was extended several times due to his medical condition.
Mayank Rawat
