The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that challenged the bail granted to an accused in a money laundering case involving the alleged fraudulent sale of 4.55 acres of Indian Army land in Ranchi
The case also implicates Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is currently out on bail.
The bench, comprising Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, upheld the Jharkhand High Court’s November 28, 2023, decision to grant bail to accused Dilip Ghosh. However, the Supreme Court clarified that this order should not be used as a precedent for other co-accused and that the trial court should not be influenced by the high court’s observations during the trial.
The court directed the special court to expedite the trial, noting that charges against Ghosh and other co-accused have already been framed. It also granted the ED the right to request a cancellation of Ghosh’s bail if any bail conditions are violated or if delay tactics are used.
On August 29, the Supreme Court had sought Ghosh’s bank statements to review financial transactions related to the land sale in question. The ED alleged that non-owners had sold the Army land by forging documents. The land was sold to M/s. Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Pvt Ltd (JTEPL), where Ghosh is a director, for Rs 7 crore—significantly below the property’s market value of over Rs 20 crore due to ongoing litigation with the Indian Army.
The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by Jharkhand Police in June 2022, accusing local businessman Pradeep Bagchi of obtaining fraudulent property holdings and selling the land based on forged documents. The ED has been pursuing charges of money laundering against the accused.
(With inputs from agency)
Share your news, articles, deals, columns, or press releases with us! Click the link to submit and join our platform today.
