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The Delhi High Court has granted bail to accused Arun Muthu in connection with a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, linked to Sukesh Chandrashekhar. He is accused of receiving funds in Chennai through hawala.
He has been granted bail after a custody of over three years and trial is yet to be started. He had directed a web series with Leena Pulose. This money laundering case was registered on the basis of an extortion case filed by Aditi Shivinder Singh on August 7, 2021. Justice Amit Sharma granted bail to Arun Muthu after considering the submissions of counsel and the facts of the case. "In totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, the application is allowed. The applicant is directed to be released on bail upon his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs 1,00,000 along with one surety of like amount," the bench ordered on February 20. While granting bail the bench noted that the applicant was arrested on October 12, 2021, and has been in custody for a period of three years and four months, approximately. The trial in the present complaint is yet to commence and would take time to conclude, it further noted. Justice Amit Sharma observed, "Apart from expressing apprehension of the applicant being a flight risk, no material has been shown to demonstrate the same. The evidence in the present case is primarily documentary in nature which is already in possession of the prosecution." The bench also noted the fact that the Coordinate Bench while granting the bail to the co-accused did consider the delay, the period of incarceration as well as the fact that the trial is not likely to be completed in the near future. "The said judgement was delivered on November 29, 2023, and pertinently, the trial has still not commenced. The applicant therein was also ascribed a similar role of assisting the main accused in the movement of proceeds of crime," Justice Sharma noted. While opposing the bail plea of Arun Muthu, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed an affidavit and stated that during the investigation, it was revealed that Arun Muthu had been an accomplice of Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Paulose. He has been instrumental in receiving the proceeds of crime in Chennai from Hawala operators and also ensuring that the proceeds of crime were brought into formal financial channels by getting the cash deposited through accommodation entry providers and routing it through his personal and company accounts to accord legitimacy and lent his name to assets created and for various transactions. Advocates Naveen Malhotra and Ritwik Malhotra appeared for Arun Muthu. They argued that no proceeds of crime have been earned or acquired directly or indirectly or illegally by him. It was submitted that the alleged role of the present applicant was that he was associated with co-accused Leena Paulose, who is the wife of co-accused Sukash Chandrasekhar. Counsel for the accused pointed out that the evidence against the present applicant is in the form of confessional statements by the other co-accused persons which cannot be relied upon to prosecute the present applicant. He did not receive any money from Sukesh or Leena. It was also submitted that the applicant is a young person in his twenties and had directed a web series along with the co-accused Leena Paulose and out of the earnings from the said series a major chunk was remitted to co-accused Leena Paulose and the present applicant had retained his commission. (ANI)
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