The Supreme Court has granted bail to Mohammad Kashif in a money laundering case. He was accused of posing as a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union ministers to allegedly extort money from people.
The Supreme Court granted bail to Mohammad Kashif in connection with a money laundering case.
Kashif was accused of impersonating a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union ministers in order to allegedly extort money from individuals.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh set-aside an earlier order by the Allahabad High Court that had rejected his bail application.
While granting relief, the top court observed that Kashif had already spent almost three years in custody.
The Bench stated during the hearing,
“We are inclined to set aside the impugned order…for the reason that the appellant has been in incarceration for three years,”
The Court also recorded an undertaking from Kashif that he would not use the names of constitutional authorities or government officials in the future.
It directed him to cooperate with the ongoing proceedings and clarified that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could move for cancellation of bail if he violated any condition or failed to comply with the undertaking.
The ED’s case was based on an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered in April 2023 following an FIR lodged at Surajpur Police Station in Gautam Budh Nagar.
The FIR cited offences including cheating, forgery, and provisions under the Information Technology Act.
Investigators alleged that Kashif uploaded altered and morphed photographs of himself with PM Modi and several Union ministers on social media to suggest he had close links with influential government figures.
The agency claimed he allegedly leveraged this perceived proximity to collect money from people by promising government jobs, contracts, and support in government departments.
The ED also relied on the alleged seizure of more than Rs 1.10 crore from premises linked to him, maintaining that the amount was connected to the proceeds of crime.
Kashif was represented by Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, while the Enforcement Directorate appeared through Additional Solicitor General SV Raju.
Case Title: Mohammad Kashif v. ED
