SC extends protection from arrest to Ambience Group promoter in money laundering case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday extended by four weeks the protection from arrest granted to Ambience Group promoter Raj Singh Gehlot in a money laundering case linked to an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 800 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, opposed the grant of relief before a bench headed by Justice B R Gavai saying the person who siphoned off hundreds of crores of rupees should not be granted bail allegedly on fake medical grounds.
"I wonder why all these economic offenders are always hospitalised after the filing of the case. Otherwise they are hale and hearty," the law officer told the bench which also comprised justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol.
The submissions were opposed by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Gehlot.
Rohatgi said that the apex court on November 4, 2022, had ordered re examination of Gehlot by a medical board to be constituted by the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.
The order of this court on medical examination cannot be rendered nugatory, he said.
The bench, after hearing brief submissions, extended the protection from arrest to Gehlot by four more weeks with a direction to the trial court to decide the bail application, if filed, during this period.
The accused has filed as many as three petitions in the top court challenging various orders of the Delhi High Court and the trial court declining him the relief.
The top court has been extending the protection from arrest from time to time in the case.
In one of the orders, passed on March 2, last year, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the bail plea by the Ambience Group promoter Gehlot in the money laundering case.
The ED had earlier raided Gehlot, his company Aman Hospitality Private Limited (AHPL), some other firms of the Ambience Group, director in the company Dayanand Singh, Mohan Singh Gehlot, and their associates.
The ED case against Gehlot, a promoter of the Ambience Mall in Gurugram, is based on a 2019 FIR of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Jammu against AHPL and its directors for alleged money laundering in the construction and development of the five-star Leela Ambience Convention Hotel located near Yamuna Sports Complex in Delhi.
The ED claimed its probe found that a huge part of the loan amount of more than Rs 800 crore, which was sanctioned by a consortium of banks for the hotel project, was siphoned off by AHPL, Raj Singh Gehlot, and his associates through a web of companies owned and controlled by them.
In October 2021, a Delhi trial court had refused to grant bail to Gehlot, saying there was a strong possibility that he could hamper the investigation if released on bail.
"Considering the nature of the offence, seriousness of allegations and a strong possibility of applicant/ accused attempting to influence the course of trial by influencing the witnesses and tampering with the evidence, I am of the considered opinion that the bail application is bereft of any merits and the same is accordingly dismissed," the trial court had said.
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If Cong comes to power even by mistake, it will ruin Haryana with its infighting: Modi
Sonipat, Sep 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Congress saying if it comes to power in Haryana even by mistake, stability and development will be at stake because of its "infighting" and this will ruin the state.
Addressing a poll rally in Gohana in this district for the October 5 assembly polls, he also lashed out at the Congress over the issue of reservation, alleging opposing reservation and and hatred towards it are in its DNA.
Slamming the main opposition party, he said Congress governments are known for "instability."
"In the past few years wherever it formed governments, chief ministers and ministers were involved in infighting. They have nothing to do with the pain and problems of the people," Modi said as he cited the example of Congress-ruled Karnataka.
"In Karnataka, its chief minister and deputy chief minister are busy in internal fighting. In Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, it is the same story," he said in his second rally in the state, the first being over a week ago in Kurukshetra.
Modi also mentioned about alleged infighting in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh when the Congress was in power there.
"Therefore, Haryana has to be cautious. Haryana has right over me. Remember, if Congress comes to power even by mistake, it will ruin Haryana due to its infighting," he warned.
"The way infighting is rising in Congress, entire Haryana is watching," he said.
Voting for Congress means putting Haryana's stability and development at stake and opening the doors of destruction, he further said.
"This instability will stop every work in Haryana. Investment and jobs will be impacted", said Modi.
Notably, with Haryana going to polls next month, the ruling BJP has been targeting the Congress over the alleged infighting in its Haryana unit and even claimed that Lok Sabha member and prominent Dalit leader Kumari Selja is unhappy with her party over ticket distribution and so is staying away from the poll campaign.
Former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also invited Selja to join the BJP but she dismissed any possible switch, saying, "I am a Congress person, I will remain a Congress person."
In his speech, Modi said whenever the Congress remained out of power, the poor, SC, ST and OBC got their due rights.
Whenever the Congress remained in power, it snatched rights of Dalits and downtrodden, he alleged.
Whoever became prime minister from Congress's 'royal family', they always opposed reservation, he said.
"Opposing and hatred towards reservation is in Congress party's DNA. That is why today we are seeing that fourth generation of the royal family of the Congress wants to remove reservation. You have to be cautious of Congress party's anti-reservation tactics," he said.
The BJP gave participation, in true sense to Dalit, OBC and tribals while it worked to take forward deprived and backward sections, Modi said.
"In Haryana, you see BJP made Nayab Saini (who comes from OBC community) chief minister. In short time, Saini has created a place in hearts of people of Haryana," he said.
Referring to his US visit, Modi said he met big leaders and representatives of big companies. "I told them about the talent of Indian youths."
He said under the BJP government, Haryana has made place among top states in industry and agriculture sectors.
"Today, the world's biggest companies are interested in setting up factories in India, he said, adding "when industrialisation increases, its biggest benefit goes to poor, farmers and Dalits".
Modi asserted that as the voting day draws near in Haryana, support for the BJP is growing while Congress is on the slide. He exuded confidence about BJP's return to power in Haryana.
Today, entire Haryana is saying 'Phir ek baar, BJP sarkar', he said.
He also said, "I am saying with pride that whatever I am today, Haryana has a great contribution in it."
Modi said B R Ambedkar believed that in empowerment of Dalits, industry plays a big role.
He used to see Dalit, poor, deprived don't have adequate land. He knew that many poor are landless and spend their life as farm labourers, Modi said.
That is why Baba Saheb (Ambedkar) used to say that when factories are set up, Dalits and deprived get a chance.
That is why Baba Saheb used to tell Dalits to learn technical skills. In BJP's policies, decisions and thoughts, you will see reflection of this thinking of Baba Saheb, Modi said.
By giving opportunities to Dalit and deprived sections in industry, real empowerment is possible, Modi pointed out.
There is one more challenge before our country, about which only BJP talks, he said.
In our country, farm holding is shrinking. Population is increasing, but farms are shrinking. Agriculture economists believe that in villages along with farming, there should be other avenues of earning, the prime minister said.
This is why every parent wants that while one child will work on farm, other will go to city to earn, he said.
When industry expands, lives of farmers also improve and youth of farmer families also get good jobs and opportunities, he said.
Modi also paid tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary, saying drawing inspiration from him, the BJP is taking the country to new heights of development and uplifting the poor.
On the second phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, he congratulated the people for taking part in the festival of democracy with great enthusiasm.
"Since morning, people are in queues to exercise their vote.The way in first phase, voting record broke in J&K, that too the world has seen," he said.
