Supreme Court Grants Bail in Jharkhand Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court has granted bail to Bhagwan Bhagat and Sunil Yadav, both accused in a money laundering case tied to illegal mining in Jharkhand. The court emphasized the absence of a predicate offence in this case.

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to two individuals implicated in a money laundering case related to illegal mining activities in Jharkhand. The bench, comprised of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih, delivered the decision in favor of the accused, Bhagwan Bhagat and Sunil Yadav.

Represented by Senior Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, as well as advocates Sonam Gupta and Kaushik Moitra, Bhagwan Bhagat's legal team contended that the lack of a predicate offence should prevent their client from prolonged detention. Bhagat was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 7, 2023, for alleged involvement in illegal mining and laundering proceeds for a third party. This arrest led to a challenge against an April 12 order by the Jharkhand High Court that denied his bail.

The petition highlighted Bhagat's compliance with multiple summons over one-and-a-half years of investigation, as well as the High Court's oversight concerning the absence of an identifiable predicate offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court's decision noted that without a scheduled offence, the prosecution's case against Bhagat was fundamentally flawed. Furthermore, the ED's allegations centered on illegal mining activities and unlicensed transport of stone chips in the Sahibganj District.