A Delhi court granted bail to Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a money laundering case, citing excessive detention and violation of personal liberty. It held prolonged custody undermines speedy trial rights, ordering release on bond and sureties under strict conditions.
NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi granted bail to accused conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a money-laundering matter. The court observed that prolonged detention beyond a reasonable period infringes the fundamental right to personal liberty and a speedy trial.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed that Chandrasekhar be released on bail after furnishing a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh together with two sureties of the same amount, noting that he had already endured “excessive detention.”
ALSO READ: 2015 Cheating Case| Bombay HC Grants Bail to Alleged ‘Conman’ Sukesh Chandrasekhar
Chandrasekhar will, however, remain incarcerated on other pending matters.
The court observed,
“Liberty being the most sacrosanct norm in our Constitution, the court cannot preach liberty from its decisions while playing footsie with the state upon the bogey of special legislation or economic offences.”
Gogne acknowledged the seriousness of the money-laundering allegations but also cautioned that special legislation like the PMLA should not be used as a tool to deprive an accused of liberty through court orders.
He added,
the mere “existence even of 31 cases (including the present case) against the accused” could not bar his entitlement to bail in this specific matter.
Gogne said,
“With the proceedings effectively being under stay, both in the predicate offence and the present complaint under PMLA for the past several years, the accused has not only served excessive detention during trial but also stands to suffer further prolonged detention without trial,”
The PMLA case forms part of a broader probe into alleged financial irregularities and purported attempts to influence the allocation of a political party’s election symbol. Authorities say the matter points to an extensive network of fraudulent operations linked to Chandrasekhar, who has been under investigation for several years.
Although bail was granted, Chandrasekhar will reportedly remain in custody for now. There are 31 criminal cases registered against him across various jurisdictions; he has obtained bail in 26, while five cases remain pending.
Factual Backgrounds:
Sukesh Chandrasekhar was accused of negotiating a Rs 50 crore deal to secure the AIADMK faction’s ‘two leaves’ election symbol, a matter that led to a case and the arrest of an intermediary in 2017.
Read Also: Jacqueline Fernandez Knowingly Used, Enjoyed Conman’s Gains From Crime: ED
The case related to an alleged effort by AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran to bribe an Election Commission official to retain the party’s ‘two leaves’ symbol during the R K Nagar Assembly by-election in Tamil Nadu. At the time of his arrest, Rs 1.30 crore in cash and two luxury vehicles a BMW and a Mercedes were recovered from Chandrasekhar.
Separately, Sukesh faces allegations in a large extortion scheme, providing context for his broader criminal scrutiny. He is accused of extorting over Rs 200 crore from a businesswoman’s wife between 2020 and 2021. The racket is said to have been run from inside Tihar Jail, employing Voice modulation software, Fake identities (posing as government officials) and Claims of connections to high offices to gain victims’ trust.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE