HC mentions another case facts in PC bail order

New Delhi, November 17

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The facts of another case have found mention in the Delhi High Court order denying bail to former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media money-laundering case.

In his 41-page verdict on November 15, Justice Suresh Kumar Kait of the high court reproduced some paragraphs from a 2017 Supreme Court order rejecting bail to Delhi-based lawyer Rohit Tandon in a money-laundering case.

The judge also referred to a previous 2017 order of the high court in the case of Rohit Tandon versus Enforcement Directorate in which it was observed that “there is a provision of trial by special courts in case of ‘schedule offences’ under the PMLA. Possibility of joint trial would arise under Section 44 of the PMLA only when chargesheet is filed upon completion of investigation and the case is committed to the Special Court.

“Section 44 does not talk of joint investigation or joint trial. It makes it mandatory that the offence punishable under Section 4 of the Act and any scheduled offence connected to the offence under that section shall be triable only by the Special Court constituted for the area in which the offence has been committed.” The high court, in its November 15 order dismissing bail plea of Chidambaram, mentioned the facts of Tandon’s case that “it is alleged that during the period from November 15, 2016 to November 19, 2016 huge cash to the tune of Rs 31.75 crore was deposited in eight bank accounts in Kotak Mahindra Bank in the accounts of ‘group of companies’.” — PTI