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Money laundering case: Interim bail dismissed, industrialist Gaba back in jail
Mohali The interim bail granted to industrialist Chunni Lal Gaba, 72, in a money-laundering case in the wake of Covid-19 was cancelled by a Mohali court on Saturday.
Mohali The interim bail granted to industrialist Chunni Lal Gaba, 72, in a money-laundering case in the wake of Covid-19 was cancelled by a Mohali court on Saturday.
Gaba surrendered before the CBI special court, which is designated ED court as well, and sent to judicial custody. Gaba’s interim bail was dismissed in the wake of the Punjab and Haryana high court order of July 2 that was in line with the Supreme Court observation that “bail in cases involving heinous crimes, like the offences under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, may not be granted as a matter of right”.
Gaba was granted interim bail on March 28 and it was extended on May 8. Gaba, in February this year, had surrendered before the court in connection with the money-laundering case against him.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had chargesheeted nine members of Gaba’s family, associated with his 11 firms, in connection with the Bhola drug case for the alleged violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Besides Gaba, his three sons — Gurjit, Gurmesh and Mahesh — father Suresh Kumar, brother Harmesh Gaba, 23-year-old grandson Khushwant Gaba, Gurjit’s wife Rekha and Harmesh’s wife Sudesh Rani were booked.
The ED’s chargesheet had listed 11 firms, jointly owned by the Gaba family, and their properties at Phillaur, Goraya and Una (Himachal Pradesh).
The ED had registered the money laundering case after former Punjab Police DSP and drug lord Jagdish Singh Bhola had in January 2014 accused Gaba of trading in synthetic drug pseudoephedrine in association with Delhi-based smuggler Varinder Raja.
Gaba has business interests in cold storage fibre, real estate and pharmaceuticals in Una and Baddi districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Gaba was acquitted in the Bhola drug case while his son Gurjit Singh Gaba alias Monu was convicted and sentenced to 10-year jail. Their manager Suresh Kumar was awarded 12-year imprisonment.
