HC judge recuses from hearing Gautam Thapar's bail plea in money laundering case

Last month, a trial court here had dismissed Thapars bail application in connection with the Rs 500-crore money laundering case.Special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal had noted that since a huge loss of public money was involved in the case, it needed to be viewed seriously.

A Delhi High Court judge Monday recused from hearing the bail application by Avantha Group promoter Gautam Thapar in a money laundering case. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar directed that the case be listed before another judge of the high court on Tuesday, saying that he had recused from hearing a plea by another accused in the case as well. "Subject to the orders of the Chief Justice, list tomorrow before the concerned judge," the judge said. The case will be heard tomorrow by Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri. Last month, a trial court here had dismissed Thapar's bail application in connection with the Rs 500-crore money laundering case.

Special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal had noted that since a huge loss of public money was involved in the case, it needed to be viewed seriously. The trial court had observed that there were allegations that proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 500 crore were generated in this case and were laundered and utilised in repayment of existing loans and meeting other expenses in conspiracy with the other accused persons arraigned in the complaint. ''Considering the overall facts and circumstances, since the allegations against the accused are grave and serious in nature, no ground for bail is made out at this stage. Consequently, the bail application of accused Gautam Thapar is dismissed,'' the trial court had said.

The trial court had accepted the arguments made by special public prosecutors that the chances of the accused fleeing the country could not be ruled out.

Thapar's bail application had claimed that he was not required for the investigation and that no purpose would be served by keeping him in further custody. Last month, the trial court also took cognisance of a charge sheet filed in the case against Thapar and 20 others. The final report had alleged that the accused committed criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and forgery for diversion and misappropriation of public money from 2017 to 2019 and caused a loss to the tune of Rs 466.51 crore to YES Bank. The ED is probing an alleged transaction between Thapar's company Avantha Realty and YES Bank co-founder Rana Kapoor and his wife, who is already being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the agency.

The money laundering case was filed by the ED after taking cognisance of an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

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