THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Oct 3: In a money laundering case related to the Mahadev illegal gambling app, the Supreme Court granted bail on Thursday to Chhattisgarh businessman Sunil Dammani, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August last year.
The court clarified that this decision was made without delving into the merits of the accusations.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra observed that Sunil Dammani has been in custody since August 23, 2023, and overturned the Chhattisgarh High Court’s decision that had denied him bail.
“Without saying anything on merits, we are of the view that the appellant may be released on bail subject to bail conditions”, the bench said.
“Appellant is ordered to be released on bail if not required in any other investigation, subject to the condition that he shall mark his presence every 15 days at the ED office in the concerned district. The appellant shall not leave the country without prior permission of the trial court,” the bench added.
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In the hearing, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa stated that Sunil Dammani has been in jail for 14 months, with the main accused not participating in the investigation and the trial yet to commence.
On the other hand, Advocate Zoheb Hossain for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) argued against the bail plea, claiming that Dammani, a hawala operator, is involved in illegally transferring over Rs 5,000 crore abroad. He highlighted that there are 45 accused in the case and that key conspirators are absconding, with red corner notices issued for their arrest.
The Supreme Court acknowledged that Sunil Dammani has been in custody since August of last year and decided to grant him bail without considering the merits of the allegations, noting that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already filed a charge sheet.
The court was hearing Dammani’s appeal against the Chhattisgarh High Court’s July 26 ruling that denied his bail application. Dammani was arrested by the ED on August 23, along with three others, for their alleged involvement in the money laundering case linked to the Mahadev app.
ED had executed searches at the properties of ten individuals, including Vinod Verma, a political advisor to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
In addition to Sunil Dammani, his brother Anil, Chhattisgarh Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Chandra Bhushan Verma, and Satish Chandrakar, all hailing from Raipur, were arrested in connection with the case.
