The Supreme Court of India recently dismissed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea to cancel the bail of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and current NCP MLA Chhagan Bhujbal in a money-laundering case.
The bench, consisting of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, also turned down Bhujbal's plea, which sought to challenge his arrest in the matter.
In its ruling, the apex court highlighted that Bhujbal had been granted bail back in 2018. It added that since the bail order had been passed quite some time ago, there was no need to revisit the legality of the arrest at this stage.
The bench further explained that the plea did not warrant interference under Article 136 of the Constitution, which is a provision for discretionary review by the Supreme Court. Therefore, the Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) filed by the ED were dismissed.
On Bhujbal's plea regarding the legality of his arrest, the court noted that since he had already been granted bail in 2018, it was not necessary to examine the matter immediately. However, the bench left the issue open, allowing Bhujbal the option to raise it in an appropriate petition at a later stage.
Bhujbal had been granted bail by the Bombay High Court on May 4, 2018, after being arrested in connection with the money-laundering case.
The ED has accused Bhujbal of awarding contracts related to various construction and development projects, including the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, to a particular firm in exchange for kickbacks for both him and his family.
This latest development in the case adds another chapter to the ongoing legal battle surrounding Bhujbal, with the Supreme Court's ruling marking a significant moment in the proceedings.
While the case continues, the dismissal of the ED's plea for the cancellation of bail has raised questions about the legal standing of the accused in the money-laundering investigation.
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