Delhi Court Denies Bail to Hari Om Rai in Vivo Money Laundering Case
New Delhi, September 24: The Patiala House Court in Delhi has dismissed the bail plea of Hari Om Rai, who is accused in the Vivo mobile money laundering case. The court found that Vivo India had sent Rs 70,837 crore out of India from January 2015 to March 2021. These funds were sent to entities in Hong Kong, Samoa, and the British Virgin Islands.
Judge’s Decision
Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta dismissed the bail plea, citing the seriousness of the allegations and Rai’s past conduct. The judge noted that Rai had previously misused interim bail granted on medical grounds by submitting false documents. An FIR was registered on May 17, 2024, at Hauz Khas police station regarding this misuse.
Arguments and Evidence
Rai’s counsel argued that he had been in judicial custody for almost a year and that there were no allegations directly linking him to the money laundering activities. However, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the bail, stating that Rai was involved in setting up a complex scheme to launder money through Vivo India and its associated companies.
Role of Vivo China
The ED argued that Vivo China used Indian companies, including Lava International Ltd., to set up a network of companies in India. These companies were used to launder money and violate Indian laws. The ED also stated that Rai had provided logistical support and invitation letters for Chinese nationals involved in these activities.
Conclusion
The court concluded that releasing Rai on bail could lead to tampering with evidence, as some witnesses are his employees. Therefore, the bail application was dismissed.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi Court -: A court is a place where legal cases are heard and decided. Delhi is the capital city of India, and it has many courts to handle different types of cases.
Bail -: Bail is when someone who has been arrested is allowed to go home until their trial, usually after paying some money as a promise to return.
Hari Om Rai -: Hari Om Rai is a person who has been accused of doing something illegal with money in this case.
Vivo -: Vivo is a company that makes mobile phones. It is very popular in India and many other countries.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is when someone tries to hide where money really came from, usually because it was earned in illegal ways.
Patiala House Court -: Patiala House Court is one of the courts in Delhi where legal cases are heard and decided.
Rs 70,837 crore -: Rs stands for Rupees, which is the currency used in India. 70,837 crore is a very large amount of money.
Judge Kiran Gupta -: Judge Kiran Gupta is the person in the court who listens to the case and makes decisions about it.
Interim Bail -: Interim bail is temporary permission to go home while the case is still going on.
Enforcement Directorate -: The Enforcement Directorate is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Tampering with evidence -: Tampering with evidence means changing or hiding information that is important for solving a case.