New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) A Delhi court on Thursday granted regular bail to Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) co-founder Vinesh Kumar Chandel in a money laundering case linked to the alleged coal pilferage probe.

Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal of the Patiala House Courts passed the order in favour of Chandel, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

While allowing the bail plea, the court recorded that the ED had been given an opportunity to oppose the application but chose not to do so.

On April 23, a Delhi court had issued notice to the ED on Chandel’s regular bail plea and sought the federal anti-money laundering agency’s response.

Subsequently, on April 28, the Patiala House Court had dismissed his interim bail plea, which was filed on medical grounds citing the deteriorating health of his 74-year-old mother, who is suffering from dementia.

Rejecting the interim relief, the court had then observed: “In view of the foregoing discussion, this Court is of the considered opinion that the applicant/accused has failed to make out a case for grant of interim bail. The grounds urged, though sympathetic, do not rise to the level of urgency or exceptionality required to justify such relief, particularly in the context of an offence under the PMLA.”

The court had further underlined that interim bail in PMLA cases cannot be granted routinely and must be based on “compelling, immediate, and exceptional circumstances”.

Chandel was sent to 14 days’ judicial custody on April 23 after the expiry of the ED remand in connection with an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered on March 28 on the basis of an FIR lodged by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

According to the ED, M/s Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, through its directors, including Chandel, was allegedly involved in the generation, concealment and laundering of proceeds of crime through structured financial transactions involving unaccounted cash components, bogus invoices and hawala channels.

The federal anti-money laundering agency has alleged that the company split receipts between formal banking channels and cash payments, including funds purportedly received from political parties, and used unaccounted money for election-related expenditure and influencing public perception.

The ED has further claimed that Rs 13.50 crore was introduced into the company’s books in the guise of unsecured, interest-free loans without commercial justification, while bogus invoices were allegedly raised to justify suspicious fund inflows.

–IANS

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