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Punjab: AAP MLA Gajjanmajra gets bail in money laundering case
The ED had arrested Gajjanmajra in connection with a money laundering case of Tara Corporation Limited on November 6 last year
The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra in connection with the ₹40-crore bank fraud case.
The high court bench of justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu while granting the bail observed that out of total dues of ₹41 crore, ₹35.50 crore has already been recovered and attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
“It is evident that TCL tried to make an attempt for settlement of the outstanding liability through ‘OTS’ (one time settlement), but the same could not materialise for certain reasons. However, there is nothing on record to indicate that ‘OTS’ could not fructify due to any lapse on the part of petitioner,” the court said. “...petitioner ceased to be a director of TCL w.e.f. 21.12.2015 i.e. much prior to the lodging of present FIR on 23.05.2022; thus, in such a scenario, the complicity of petitioner would be a debatable question during trial,” the bench further recorded.
The ED arrested Gajjanmajra, 60, in connection with a money laundering case of Tara Corporation Limited on November 6 last year. He is among the seven persons and companies named in the case.
In March 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR in the case.
In September 2022, the ED raided Gajjanmajra’s house besides a school and a cattle feed factory run by his family in Amargarh. Later, a PMLA case was registered against him.
The court took note of Gajjanmajra’s poor health and said that he can be termed as a “sick person” within the ambit of Section 45 of the PMLA. The court also rejected the ED’s objection that if he is granted bail, he may hamper the ongoing investigation and threaten the prosecution witnesses. “These claims are based merely on surmises,” the court said.
The court, however, made it clear that Gajjanmajra would co-operate with the court and won’t seek any unnecessary adjournments. “If there is any misuse of concession by him, the ED would be at liberty to move an application for cancellation of the bail,” the court added.
