Supertech chairman R K Arora seeks interim bail on health grounds in money laundering case

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Supertech Group Chairman R.K. Arora has filed a plea in Delhi court seeking interim bail for 90 days on medical grounds in connection with a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The plea said that Arora was referred to Government Hospital Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital by jail authorities, where he underwent examinations and received prescriptions.

Despite medical attention, the doctors at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital noted a lack of improvement in Arora's health.

The plea argues for his immediate release on interim bail to facilitate accurate diagnosis and urgent medical treatment.

It said that prolonged custody could jeopardise Arora's health, leading to intolerable consequences for him and his family.

The plea also underscored the disparity between medical facilities in prisons and those available in private hospitals, stating that jail facilities are inadequate for monitoring the health of an individual suffering from multiple serious ailments.

It said that the jail lacks the specialised and intensive care necessary for Arora's condition.

The matter was scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday but has been adjourned to January 5 for further consideration.

In October last year, the court had refused to grant default bail to Arora.

Arora's application sought bail on ground that the financial probe agency had filed an incomplete charge sheet against him.

He claimed that the ED had filed an incomplete charge sheet just to defeat his "statutory right" to get default bail in case the probe agency fails to file a charge sheet within the statutorily period granted by the law to complete the investigation from the arrest of an accused.

Notably, on September 26, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala of Patiala House Courts had taken cognisance of the charge sheet against Arora.

The judge dismissed the application observing that the ED had completed the investigation against the accused.

The court noted that it had taken the cognisance of commission of alleged offence only after considering the sufficient material on record.

The charge sheet is filed on the completion of the investigation but the ED's probe is still on in the present case, Arora's application claimed.

However, ED's Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta had opposed the application saying that even though the investigation in the case was still ongoing, the probe with regard to "Arora" was complete.

Arrested on June 27 after the ED re-attached properties worth Rs 40 crore belonging to him in this matter, Arora had said that he was arrested without being informed about the grounds of arrest.

The court, however, rejected his claim noting that the probe agency complied with the relevant provisions of law.

The probe agency had, on August 24, filed the charge sheet against Arora and eight others in the matter. The accused have been accused of defrauding at least 670 homebuyers of Rs 164 crore.

Matta had earlier apprised the court that the company and its directors had indulged in a criminal conspiracy to cheat people by collecting funds from prospective home buyers as advance against flats booked in real estate projects.

He had said the firm failed to adhere to the agreed obligation of providing possession of the flats on time and ended up defrauding the general public.

The money laundering case stems from a bunch of FIRs registered by the police in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. It is alleged that money collected through real estate business was invested in several firms through money laundering, as the funds from the home buyers were later transferred to several accounts of firms involved in other businesses. Arora couldn't provide satisfactory answers, which led to his arrest.

The Dadri administration in Greater Noida had issued a notice against Arora and Supertech, asking them to repay a total of Rs 37 crore. After the notice was served, Arora was detained at the local DM office, but was released later.

According to sources, several FIRs have been filed against Arora and Supertech. They also took loans from banks, and their accounts reportedly turned into non-performing assets (NPAs).

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