The Supreme Court recently granted bail to Abbas Ansari, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Mau, in two separate cases involving serious allegations. One case is related to money laundering, while the other involves an alleged illegal meeting that took place in jail.
In a significant ruling, a bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal decided to grant bail to Ansari concerning the money laundering case.
His bail plea had been submitted through his advocate, Lzafeer Ahmad BF, and sought to challenge an earlier decision made by the Allahabad High Court on May 9. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had previously denied his request for bail in this particular case.
Abbas Ansari is accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, specifically under Sections 3 and 4. The allegations stem from an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which was initiated following the registration of three First Information Reports (FIRs) related to predicate offences.
One of these FIRs points to a dubious scheme involving the collection of funds for constructing a school, which allegedly never materialised, leaving the land to be used solely for agricultural purposes.
Additionally, another complaint alleges that Ansari and his two co-accused were aware that the property in question was government-owned. However, they allegedly used their influence to usurp the land, had a map created, and constructed an illegal house on it, resulting in significant financial loss to the government.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asserted that their investigation indicates Abbas Ansari as the beneficiary of the alleged proceeds of crime and claims he played an active role in the money laundering activities.
The Supreme Court also granted bail to Ansari in the separate case regarding an alleged illegal meeting he had with his wife while in jail. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan presided over this bail application, concluding that since the investigation was complete and a charge-sheet had already been filed, there were grounds for granting bail.
They noted that Ansari had been in custody for more than one and a half years regarding this case. The judges emphasised that while the trial would take time, it was appropriate to release him on bail without commenting on the case's merits.
The bench specified that Abbas Ansari must cooperate fully with the trial proceedings and attend all court hearings unless he is exempted from personal attendance.
His previous legal troubles escalated following the alleged illegal meeting in jail, which led to his transfer to Kasganj Jail in February 2023. This incident also resulted in the arrest of seven others, including Ansari's wife, who has since been granted bail by the Supreme Court.
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