Mumbai: The Bombay high court has granted bail to Sameer Bhujbal in the multi-crore money-laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The court, while granting bail to Sameer Bhujbal on Wednesday, considered the fact that total punishment for the crime was seven years, one-third of which he had already spent in jail. The court also considered the fact that the trial in the case may take long and so, it would not be appropriate to keep Sameer Bhujbal languishing in jail. Another consideration was that senior NCP leader and former deputy CM, Chhagan Bhujbal, who is Sameer Bhujbal’s uncle and the main accused in the case, was given bail by the Bombay high court last month.
Justice Ajay Gadkari was hearing a bail application filed by Sameer Bhujbal, mentioning that his uncle, Chhagan Bhujbal, was granted bail by the Bombay high court in May, and therefore, he should be released on grounds of parity. Sameer Bhujbal’s counsel, Vikram Choudhary, argued that with the Supreme Court having held section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) unconstitutional, it would no longer serve as a hurdle for grant of bail. However, additional solicitor general Anil Singh argued that the Supreme Court had not struck down the entire section 45 but only removed scheduled offences, and so, it was still a condition to reject bail.
The court directed Sameer Bhujbal to furnish Rs 5 lakh as surety and not leave Maharashtra without the court’s permission. The court also told him not to destroy the evidence against him and asked him to remain present before the investigation agency as and when required. The ED had registered a criminal case of money laundering in 2016. The charges are yet to be framed in the case by the court, and the trial is yet to begin.
First rally post bail
A special PMLA court on Wednesday granted permission to former deputy CM, Chhagan Bhujbal, to visit Pune to attend a political rally on June 10. This will be Chhagan Bhujbal’s first political rally after securing bail in the money laundering case. Chhagan Bhujbal needed the court’s permission as, while granting bail, the court had put a condition that Chhagan Bhujbal would not leave the city limits without its permission.
Advocate Shalabh Saxena, on behalf of Chhagan Bhujbal, contended before the PMLA court that the applicant was a sitting MLA from the Yeola constituency. The NCP had organised a rally in Pune on June 10, where issues of public importance and the agrarian crisis were to be discussed. After hearing the arguments, judge M.S. Azmi allowed Chhagan Bhujbal to visit Pune and attend the rally
