New Delhi, 18 October, 2024: Abbas Ansari, a member of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), received bail from the Supreme Court concerning a money laundering investigation led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ruling, issued by a bench headed by Justice MM Sundresh, overturns a previous decision made by the Allahabad High Court on May 9, which had denied Ansari’s bail request.
The Supreme Court directed the trial court to establish specific conditions for Ansari’s release to prevent any potential influence on witnesses or tampering with evidence.
Earlier in August, the apex court had issued a notice requiring the ED to respond to Ansari’s special leave petition. Representing Uttar Pradesh’s Mau constituency, Ansari sought relief following the high court’s rejection of his bail application. The Allahabad High Court, while denying bail, also urged the lower court to expedite the trial process.
Justice Jaspreet Singh of the Allahabad High Court remarked, “This court is unable to persuade itself to form a prima facie satisfaction in terms of Section 45 of the PMLA, at this stage, that the applicant is not guilty or that he may not commit an offence on bail.” The court took into consideration the financial evidence presented by the ED, which allegedly connected Ansari to the movement of funds between two companies: M/s Vikas Construction and M/s Aaghaaz. The ED accused these firms of being utilized by Ansari for money laundering activities.
The investigation by the ED commenced under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on three FIRs related to criminal offenses. The first case involved allegations that partners of a construction firm encroached on public property by falsifying records. The second FIR raised concerns regarding Mukhtar Ansari, Abbas’s late father, who was accused of misappropriating MLA funds intended for a school project that never materialized; instead, the land remained in agricultural use. The third FIR alleged that the Ansari family, using their influence, illegally occupied government land and constructed a house.
