Money-laundering case: SC junks ED plea against Chhagan Bhujbal bail

In some relief to senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, the Supreme Court on 21 January, Tuesday, dismissed the plea of the Enforcement Directorate challenging the bail granted to him in a money-laundering case.

A bench of justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, however, rejected Bhujbal's plea challenging his arrest in the matter, saying the petitioner was released on bail in 2018 and it was not necessary to go into the question of the ‘illegality’ of his arrest at the present stage.

"Impugned orders granting bail have been passed way back in the year 2018. Therefore no case for interference is made out at this stage under Article 136 of the Constitution. The SLPs are dismissed," it held.

The Bombay High Court on 4 May, 2018, granted bail to Bhujbal in the money laundering case.

The former Maharashtra deputy chief minister was arrested after an ED inquiry revealed he and his associates had allegedly misused their office and caused financial losses to the government.

According to the ED, Bhujbal awarded contracts related to construction and development works, including one for the construction of the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, to a particular firm in return for kickbacks for himself and his family.

Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal had channelled the money received to illegal companies owned by them, alleges the central probe agency.