Delhi High Court Seeks Reply From Enforcement Directorate About Former BPSL CMD Sanjay Singal's Interim Bail Plea

The Delhi High Court has sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to an interim bail plea filed by former Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd (BPSL) CMD Sanjay Singal.

Singal is presently in judicial custody as an accused in a multi-crore money laundering case linked to an alleged bank loan fraud. He was arrested by the ED on November 22, is currently lodged in judicial custody till December 19.

The court has asked the jail superintendent to get Singal, who has sought interim bail for four weeks on medical grounds, examined by doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The high court asked the ED, represented through the central government standing counsel Amit Mahajan, to file its response on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on December 18.

The court has also allowed an oral prayer made by senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing Singal, that he be allowed to be examined by two doctors of Apollo Hospital at AIIMS, at his expense.

Earlier, Singal had filed an interim bail plea for a period of four weeks, saying he had “fragile health” and he needed to consult “trusted medical professionals and receive appropriate medical treatment, in relation to the multiple ailments the applicant suffers from since several years”.

Singal was placed under arrest on November 22 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he was questioned in connection with the case. The agency had said that he was arrested as he was not cooperating in the probe. The ED has attached assets worth Rs 4,025 crore of BPSL.

According to the ED, Rs 695.14 crore was introduced as capital by Sanjay Singal (the then CMD of the company) and his family members in BPSL out of artificially generated long-term capital gains (LTCG) by diverting bank loans fund of BPSL.