E-Paper
Court rejects interim bail plea by I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel
Additional sessions judge Shefali Barnala Tandon ruled that the request didn’t meet the threshold of “exceptional humanitarian grounds”
A Delhi court on Tuesday denied interim bail to Vinesh Chandel, director and co-founder of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), in connection with a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.
Chandel had sought interim bail citing the deteriorating health of his 74-year-old mother, who is reportedly suffering from dementia.
Additional sessions judge Shefali Barnala Tandon of Patiala House Court rejected the plea, ruling that the request did not meet the threshold of “exceptional humanitarian grounds” necessary for granting interim bail.
The court underlined that it was not insensitive to the medical vulnerability of elderly parents, but the material on record did not indicate any sudden or life-threatening emergency requiring the accused’s immediate presence.
The court further observed that no evidence was presented to show that the mother’s medical needs could not be managed through hospitalisation, professional care, or assistance from other family members.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the political consultancy firm was allegedly involved in laundering proceeds of crime amounting to crores of rupees, with around ₹50 crore identified so far.
Chandel, who holds a 33% stake in the company, was arrested earlier in April, shortly before the West Bengal elections.
The agency has alleged that I-PAC engaged in money laundering through a structured system of financial transactions, including splitting receipts between formal banking channels and unaccounted-for cash, with funds allegedly received from political parties.
It further claimed that the unaccounted money was used for election-related expenses and to influence public perception.
The ED’s investigation originates from a CBI probe alleging illegal mining and sale of coal from Eastern Coalfields Ltd areas in West Bengal, with businessman Anup Majee identified as a key figure in the alleged syndicate.
