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MP high court denies bail to former RTO constable-turned builder Saurabh Sharma
The high court said that an analysis of cash, jewellery, and other documents recovered from the applicant and other co-accused provides prima facie evidence of money laundering
Bhopal/Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh high court has rejected the bail plea of Saurabh Sharma, a former Regional Transport Office (RTO) constable-turned builder, in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A bench of justice Pramod Kumar Agrwal on Saturday said, “The analysis of cash, jewellery, and other documents recovered from the applicant and other co-accused provides prima facie evidence of money laundering.”
The Lokayukta raided the home of RTO constable Saurabh Sharma on December 22. Following the discovery of disproportionate assets, the ED filed a case against him and 12 other family members. Sharma has been in judicial custody since February 4.
The district court had refused bail in the case filed by the ED. Following this, the accused filed a bail petition in the high court. The applicant advocate argued that the property seized by the ED was not in his name and that he had no connection with it.
Advocate Vikram Singh, representing the ED, said that the co-accused in the case claim that Saurabh Sharma purchased the said properties in their names. The properties are in their names, but were purchased by Saurabh Sharma.
The applicant purchased the properties by forming firms and companies in the names of his wife, relatives, and friends. He also opened fixed deposits in the name of his son, Aviral, and purchased properties in the name of the firm, M/s Aviral Building Construction Private Limited.
The Income Tax Department recovered ₹11.60 crore in cash and 51.893 kg of gold worth ₹40.27 crore from an Innova car.
The seized Innova car is registered in the name of co-accused Chetan Singh Gaur, but was being used by applicant Saurabh Sharma. The ED has attached properties worth ₹108 crore that applicant Saurabh Sharma purchased in the names of co-accused.
A civil case regarding the attached property is pending in the Delhi high court. While posted as a constable in the Transport Department, Saurabh Sharma’s salary was ₹28,000. While hearing the bail application, the single bench had reserved its decision for July 30.
