Supreme Court rejects ED's plea against bail to Jharkhand land 'scam' accused

Noting that charges against Ghosh and other co-accused have already been framed by lower court, it directed the special court to expedite the trial

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Updated At : 04:53 PM Sep 08, 2024 IST

The Bench gave liberty to the ED to seek cancellation of the bail given to Ghosh by the high court if the bail conditions were violated or any delay tactics were used by him. File photo

The Supreme Court has rejected the Enforcement Directorate’s petition challenging the bail given to an accused in a money laundering case linked to the sale of 4.55 acres of land of the Indian Army in Ranchi, allegedly on the basis of forged documents.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren -- an accused in a money laundering case linked to the scam – has already been released on bail.

The November 28, 2023, order of the Jharkhand High Court granting bail to accused Dilip Ghosh will not be treated as a precedent in case of other co-accused, a Bench led BY Justice Bela M Trivedi said on Friday.

“Under the circumstances, without expressing any opinions on the merits of the case, rather clarifying that the impugned judgment and order passed by the high court shall not be cited as a precedent in case of other co-accused and any of the observations made therein, shall not influence the trial court/special court during the course of trial, we are not inclined to interfere with the same,” it said.

Noting that charges against Ghosh and other co-accused have already been framed by the lower court, it directed the special court to expedite the trial.

However, it gave liberty to the ED to seek cancellation of the bail given to Ghosh by the high court if the bail conditions were violated or any delay tactics were used by him.

A land parcel of 4.55 acres belonging to the Indian Army was sold by non-owners by creating falsified documents, the ED alleged.

The money laundering case emanated from an FIR lodged by the Jharkhand Police on June 4, 2022, at Bariatu Police Station in Ranchi under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security) and 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the IPC against one Pradeep Bagchi.

The FIR is based on a complaint by Dilip Sharma, tax collector of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation alleging that Bagchi obtained two holding numbers of the land by submitting forged papers. Later they allegedly fraudulently sold the properties.