The Supreme Court directed the Delhi High Court to decide Leena Paulose’s bail plea within three weeks in the Rs 200 crore extortion case, after her counsel informed Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh that it had remained pending over a year.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court directed the Delhi High Court to resolve the bail application of Leena Paulose, the wife of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, within three weeks in connection with a Rs 200 crore extortion case.
A Bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh acknowledged the argument presented by Paulose’s lawyer that her bail application had been pending for over a year in the high court.
The Supreme Court was considering a petition filed by Paulose that requested an expedited hearing of her bail application.
Delhi Police have charged Chandrasekhar with allegedly defrauding the wives of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh out of Rs 200 crore. Numerous separate investigations against him are currently underway in the country.
Both Chandrasekhar and Paulose are also involved in proceedings related to a money laundering case initiated by the Enforcement Directorate, having been arrested by Delhi Police in the extortion matter.
The police have invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in this case, alleging that Paulose, Chandrasekhar, and other co-accused utilized hawala routes and established shell companies to conceal the money acquired as proceeds of crime.
Factual Backgrounds:
The case arises from an FIR registered by the Delhi Police against Sukesh Chandrashekhar, alleging that he orchestrated a large-scale fraud involving approximately Rs 200 crore. According to investigators, he targeted and deceived the wives of prominent business figures, including the spouse of former Ranbaxy promoters, through acts of impersonation and extortion.
The police allege that Chandrashekhar, along with his wife Leena Paulose, established hawala networks and floated shell entities to channel and disguise the alleged proceeds of crime. It is further claimed that the funds obtained through the purported extortion were diverted for their personal use and benefit.
Both Chandrashekhar and Paulose were arrested in connection with the case. The matter has since expanded into multiple parallel investigations across the country. In addition to the Delhi Police probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated proceedings under anti-money laundering laws to trace and attach assets allegedly linked to the offence. Other criminal cases relating to financial fraud and deception are also stated to be under investigation.
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The invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case indicates that the authorities consider the alleged acts to form part of organised criminal activity, thereby attracting stricter legal consequences and more rigorous bail standards.
Regarding bail, Paulose has made several attempts to secure her release. However, her application has remained pending before the Delhi High Court for a considerable period. Recently, the Supreme Court directed the High Court to take up and decide her bail plea expeditiously.
Previously, the Supreme Court had expressed disapproval when Paulose approached it directly seeking an early hearing of her bail application instead of pursuing appropriate remedies before the High Court. On earlier occasions as well, the apex court declined to entertain her plea for bail, observing that the accusations were grave in nature and that no substantial change in circumstances had been demonstrated to justify relief.
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