Sukesh Chandrashekhar's wife bail plea: SC asks trial court to examine key witnesses in MCOCA case within 3 months

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale directed the prosecution to furnish a list of important witnesses to the trial court and asked the court to examine them within three months.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked a trial court to examine the list of key witnesses within three months in the Rs 200 crore extortion case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), in which Leena Paulose, wife of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, is an accused. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale directed the prosecution to furnish a list of important witnesses to the trial court and asked the court to examine them within three months.

"We have been informed charges are framed. Respondent to give list of important witnesses to the trial court. Trial court shall examine them within a period of three months. Post the matter thereafter," the bench ordered. The matter has been listed for further hearing after completion of the examination of the identified witnesses.

The apex court was hearing a bail plea by Paulose over her prolonged detention in a Rs 200 crore extortion case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). During the hearing, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for Paulose, submitted that her client has remained in custody for four years and 11 months.

"There are 23 accused and 403 witnesses. Charges were framed on July 3; the 6th supplementary chargesheet was filed on August 1. With the release of Deepak Ramani, my case stands on a much better footing than him," she argued. Appearing for the prosecution, Additional Solicitor General Anil Kaushik contended that charges had been framed under MCOCA and the people granted bail were merely facilitators acting on Paulose's instructions.

"She was handling the whole syndicate. She is involved in three FIRs," Kaushik said. The bench, however, asked the prosecution, "How long can you keep her inside? There must be some end to this. What if tomorrow she is acquitted?"

On May 5, the Delhi High Court had refused to grant bail to Paulose in the MCOCA case while granting her bail in the connected money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Before the High Court, Paulose had sought bail on the grounds of prolonged incarceration, delay in trial and parity with co-accused who had already been granted bail.

Her counsel had told the High Court that she had been in custody since September 2021 and had already undergone the minimum sentence of three years prescribed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Delhi Police had argued that the twin conditions for bail under MCOCA had not been satisfied and that delay in the trial was attributable to the accused, who had sought repeated adjournments before the trial court.

The prosecution had further submitted that Paulose was not merely the spouse of Sukesh Chandrashekhar but an active participant in the alleged organised crime syndicate and that other FIRs were also pending against her. In the MCOCA case, Delhi Police alleged that one Aditi Singh was extorted of around Rs 217 crore after receiving calls from a person posing as a senior law ministry official. Investigators later traced the alleged conspiracy to Chandrashekhar, who was lodged in Rohini Jail at the time.

The prosecution has also alleged that Paulose remained in contact with Chandrashekhar during his incarceration and coordinated with associates and jail officials, attracting charges under MCOCA. (ANI)