The Delhi High Court has dismissed the bail plea of Ambience Group promoter Raj Singh Gehlot in a money laundering case.
Gehlot was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in July last year after the Enforcement Directorate raided Gehlot, his company Aman Hospitality Private Limited (AHPL), some other firms of the Ambience group, director in the company Dayanand Singh, Mohan Singh Gehlot, and their associates.
The case against Gehlot, a promoter of the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, is based on a 2019 FIR of the Anti-Corruption Bureau against AHPL and its directors for alleged money laundering in the construction and development of the five-star Leela Ambience Convention Hotel located near Yamuna Sports Complex in Delhi.
The ED, in its probe, found that a huge part of the loan amount of more than Rs 800 crore, which was sanctioned by a consortium of banks for the hotel project, was siphoned off by AHPL, Raj Singh Gehlot, and his associates through a web of companies owned and controlled by them. Gehlot sought bail in the case on the ground that he has been in custody since July and his continued incarceration was not necessary after the filing of the charge sheet in the case. However, the ED opposed the grant of bail and said that the case involved serious allegations.
While dismissing the Bail application, Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri observed that, “Considering the parameters of Section 45(1) PMLA, I find no reasonable ground for believing that the applicant is not guilty of the alleged offence. From a prima facie view of the material placed on record and in light of the gravity of the alleged offences, it cannot be said either that the applicant is not likely to commit any such offence while on bail”.
RAJ SINGH GEHLOT vs DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT
CITATION: 2022 TAXSCAN (HC) 133
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