Delhi HC grants bail to lawyer in money laundering case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today granted bail to two persons including lawyer Rohit Tandon, who are in jail in connection with a money laundering case after demonetisation, saying trial in the matter was likely to take time.

Justice Mukta Gupta granted the relief to Tandon and co-aacused entry operator Raj Kumar Goel subject to their furnishing a personal bond of Rs five lakh each with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

The order came on Tandon’s plea challenging the trial court’s order denying him bail on the grounds that he was alleged to have been involved in a “white collar crime” with the other co-accused in a “well-planned” manner.

Goel has been accused of engaging in earning profits by routing money into various accounts by using forged documents. Both have been in custody for a period of one year and four months, the high court noted in its order. It also noted that despite directions of the Supreme Court to hold day-to-day trial, “till date arguments on charge have not begun”.

The court further said that evidence in the present case was primarily documentary in nature and statements of accused have already been recorded. “Further corroborative evidence in the form of CCTV footage and call detail records is also documentary in nature. The trial is likely to take some time. Thus, this court deems it fit to grant bail to the petitioners (Tandon and Goel),” the high court said and disposed of their pleas seeking bail.

In its verdict granting the relief to the duo, the court also noted that even the crime branch of Delhi Police had not arrested them in a case lodged on the offences of cheating, forgery and criminal breach of trust and had filed a charge sheet without arrest.

The lawyer was arrested by the ED after a raid in connection with a black money probe which led to the alleged seizure of Rs 13.6 crore from his law firm. Tandon, who was allegedly involved in illegal conversion of nearly Rs 60 crore demonetised currency, had failed to get relief from trial court which had said he may influence prosecution witnesses if released on bail.

Besides Tandon and Goel, the other accused are Kotak Mahindra bank manager Ashish Kumar and Delhi-based businessman Yogesh Mittal. Besides, Dinesh Bhola and Kamal Jain, Personal Assistant and Chartered Accountant, respectively, of Tandon are also accused in the case.