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Patiala House Court on Saturday granted 14 days' interim bail to former CMD of Jaypee Infratech Ltd., Manoj Gaur, citing the deteriorating health condition of his mother.
Gaur, who has been in judicial custody since November 18, 2025, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 13, 2025, in connection with a 2018 money laundering case involving the alleged diversion of Rs 13,000 crore. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Dhirender Rana granted interim bail to Manoj Gaur on two sureties of Rs 5 lakh each. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and advocate Farrukh Khan, representing Manoj Gaur, argued that the health condition of Manoj Gaur's mother is deteriorating day by day as she is old and requires dialysis. "She is very weak and suffering from various medical ailments. He wants to be with his mother," they said. On the other hand, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Atul Tripathi opposed the bail plea and submitted that there are other members to look after her. The regular bail application has also been filed. It is also pending before the court after arguments on the same. It is highlighted in the plea that Gaur is 61 years of age and has a 30-year medical history. It is stated that Gaur's detention, viewed in the backdrop of an eight-year-old ED case, documentary allegations, absence of personal gain, statutory divestment of control over companies, and serious medical infirmities, is grossly disproportionate andviolative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. It is further submitted that continued incarceration of Manoj Gaur, despite the absence of any investigative necessity, would amount to punishment prior to conviction and would offend the settled principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, particularly in cases involving prolonged investigation and trial. Manoj Gaur has deep roots in society and has substantial family, social, and professional ties within the jurisdiction of this Court, the plea said. On November 13, the Court granted the ED 5 days' custody of Manoj Gaur. ED had submitted that it is a money laundering case related to the money of Home Buyers. Accused persons collected Rs. 13000 crores but did not use the same to give accommodation to home buyers. Counsels for the accused had opposed the remand sought by the ED. It was submitted that the ECIR was lodged in 2018. An arrest has been made after almost seven years. Advocate Farrukh Khan had submitted that the ECIR is of 2018. "What stopped ED from 2018 to 2025? Now Gaur has been illegally arrested." The counsel had further submitted that the accused appeared before the ED and cooperated in the investigation. He also sent an email to the IO and requested another date to appear. He was called and was made to sit till 8 at night, the counsel added. Jaypee Infratech Ltd. (JIL) went into insolvency in 2017, and the motion was passed. It was also submitted that there is no evasion on the part of Manoj Gaur. He is a sick man. When a company is dissolved, why should the man be sent into custody, counsel questioned. First FIR was lodged in 2017, and thereafter. My statement has been recorded, We are in the year 2025, counsel for the accused had argued. ED had said that it arrested Manoj Gaur, former Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of M/s Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. (JAL) and former Chairman and Managing Director of M/s Jaypee Infratech Ltd. (JIL), under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The arrest took place following a detailed investigation and analysis of evidence gathered during the ongoing probe in an ECIR recorded by the ED under PMLA in connection with the Jaypee Group, the agency said in a release. It is also said that the ED initiated an investigation against the Jaypee group on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wings (EOW) of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Police, based on complaints filed by homebuyers of Jaypee Wishtown and Jaypee Greens projects, alleging criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal breach of trust against the company and its promoters. It has been alleged that the funds collected from thousands of homebuyers for the construction and completion of residential projects were diverted for purposes other than construction, leaving the homebuyers defrauded and their projects incomplete, the agency added. ED investigation revealed that out of approximately Rs. 14,599 Crore collected by JAL and JIL from homebuyers (as per claims admitted by NCLT), substantial amounts were diverted for non-construction purposes and siphoned off to related group entities and trusts, including Jaypee Sewa Sansthan (JSS), M/s Jaypee Healthcare Ltd. (JHL), and M/s Jaypee Sports International Ltd. (JSIL), the ED said. (ANI) It has also been revealed during the investigation that Manoj Gaur is the Managing Trustee of Jaypee Sewa Sansthan (JSS), which received part of the diverted funds, the agency claimed. Earlier, on 23 May 2025, the ED had conducted search operations at 15 locations in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Mumbai, including the offices and premises of M/s Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. and M/s Jaypee Infratech Ltd. During the searches, ED seized a large volume of financial and digital records, along with documents evidencing the offence of money laundering and diversion of funds, ED said. The agency has alleged that the investigation has established the central role of Manoj Gaur in the planning and execution of the fund diversion through a complex web of transactions within the Jaypee Group and its associated entities. (ANI)
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