SC grants bail to Abbas Ansari in money laundering case

In a relief to Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA Abbas Ansari, the Supreme Court on Friday granted him bail in connection with a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A Bench headed by Justice MM Sundresh set aside the May 9 order of the Allahabad High Court rejecting his bail application.

The Bench, also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal, ordered that Abbas Ansari, son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, be released on bail on such conditions as may be imposed by the trial court.

The apex court said the trial court would impose conditions so that the accused could not influence witnesses or tamper with evidence.

Earlier in August, the top court issued a notice in the matter, asking the ED to file its reply to the special leave petition filed by Ansari, a sitting MLA from Uttar Pradesh's Mau.

The Allahabad High Court, in its May 9 order, rejected his bail application but directed the court below to expedite the trial as swiftly as possible.

A Bench of Justice Jaspreet Singh of the Allahabad HC said, “This court is unable to persuade itself to form a, prima facie, satisfaction in terms of Section 45 of the PMLA, at this stage, that the applicant is not guilty or that he may not commit an offence on bail.”

The court also took note of the money trail put forward by the ED in the case. It said the money trail linked Ansari with the movement of funds to and from two firms — M/s Vikas Construction and M/s Aaghaaz. The ED alleged that the firms were used by Ansari for money laundering.

The ED initiated a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of three FIRs related to predicate offences.

In the first criminal case, it was alleged that the partners of a construction company had encroached on public property by falsification of records.

The other FIR arises out of allegations that Mukhtar Ansari had taken funds from the MLA fund to build a school, though no school was built and the land was being used for agricultural purposes. In the third FIR, it was alleged that Ansaris, by using their influence, usurped government land and constructed a house illegally.