Supreme Court: Rules are strict but…Supreme Court grants bail to sick accused in money laundering case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court granted interim bail on medical grounds to the former chairman of Pune’s Co-operative Bank, accused in the money laundering and misappropriation case of Rs 429 crore. A bench led by Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud took this decision after reviewing the medical report of former chairman Amar Sadhuram Moolchandani. The court said that there are stringent conditions for bail under the Money Laundering Act, yet a sick and weak person can be granted bail.What did the Supreme Court say?
Earlier, a board of four expert doctors of JJ Hospital, Mumbai prepared a report and presented it before the Supreme Court. In view of this report, the Supreme Court granted interim bail. The court said that Moolchandani has been in jail for more than a year. he/she was arrested on July 1 last year. While granting bail, the Supreme Court said that under Section 45 of the PMLA Act, a double condition has been set for bail, but it also said that a sick and weak person can be granted bail.

Court has opened many doors on bail under PMLA law
There are strict rules for bail under the PMLA law. According to Section 45, the accused in money laundering cases can be granted bail only if he/she fulfills two major conditions. The first condition is that it should be prima facie visible that the accused did not commit the crime. Secondly, after getting bail, there should be no possibility of crime. From time to time, the Supreme Court has given new arrangements while granting bail in different cases. For example, former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia got bail on the basis of delay in the trial of the case. The court had clarified that bail is the rule, while jail is the exception. In the present case, the Supreme Court has granted interim bail on medical grounds, which can become a precedent in the times to come.