Supreme Court Grants Bail to Bhagwan Bhagat and Sunil Yadav
The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to Bhagwan Bhagat and Sunil Yadav in a money laundering case related to illegal mining in Jharkhand. The decision was made by a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih.
Legal Representation
Bhagwan Bhagat was represented by Senior Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, advocate-on-record Sonam Gupta, and advocate Kaushik Moitra. They argued that without a predicate offence, Bhagat should not remain in custody.
Background
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Bhagat on July 7, 2023, accusing him of illegal mining and laundering proceeds of crime. Bhagat challenged a Jharkhand High Court order from April 12 that had rejected his bail. He was arrested after complying with summonses over one-and-a-half years of investigation.
Arguments
The petition stated that the High Court overlooked the lack of a scheduled offence necessary for prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. It also mentioned that the High Court was influenced by the large number of FIRs clubbed into the ECIR.
Allegations
The ED alleged that vehicles carrying mined items had to cross Barharwa toll before reaching main roads and that illegal mining was occurring in Sahibganj District and nearby areas.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice.
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.
Bhagwan Bhagat and Sunil Yadav -: Bhagwan Bhagat and Sunil Yadav are people who were arrested in a case about illegal mining and money laundering in Jharkhand.
Jharkhand -: Jharkhand is a state in eastern India known for its rich mineral resources.
Illegal Mining -: Illegal mining is when people dig for minerals like coal or gold without permission from the government.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is when people try to hide money they got from illegal activities to make it look like it came from legal sources.
Predicate Offence -: A predicate offence is a crime that is part of a bigger crime, like stealing money before hiding it through money laundering.
Enforcement Directorate -: The Enforcement Directorate is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Custody -: Custody means being kept in jail or under police watch.
Jharkhand High Court -: The Jharkhand High Court is a big court in the state of Jharkhand that makes important legal decisions.
Proceeds of Crime -: Proceeds of crime are the money or benefits someone gets from doing something illegal.
