New Delhi. Opposing the interim bail plea of Preeti Chandra, wife of former Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Supreme Court on Friday that she too is involved in money laundering and is likely to leave the country.
Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah, after hearing the ED’s argument, allowed Preeti Chandra to leave the jail for five hours conditionally for attending her maternal grandmother’s funeral.
The Supreme Court said that Preeti Chandra can attend the Shradh ceremony of her grandmother for a day from 10 am to 3 pm. The division bench also directed the police officers to stay with Preeti during this period. The accused cannot use a mobile phone or look at any document while he is out of jail.
Preeti is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. On June 6, 2018, the ED had registered a case against Unitech promoters Sanjay and Ajay Chandra and founder Ramesh Chandra etc. in the money laundering case.
The ED told the Supreme Court that Preeti Chandra was actively involved in the money laundering case and was working from the UAE. The ED said that they have found several properties in the Cayman Islands, Mauritius and Singapore etc.
Arguing in the Supreme Court on behalf of the ED, Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan said that the accused Preeti holds a passport of Dominican Republic and India has no extradition treaty with it.
Dewan said that the accused was trying to flee the country in March last year but could not escape because of the lookout circular. Preeti’s children are in America, she also has a US passport and has a lot of property abroad. She has been in an active role in the whole affair.
He said that the accused was doing her work through Trikar Group and she was instrumental in transferring huge amount of money from Unitech Group to other institutions. She had colluded with the jail authorities and they were passing her messages to her husband and husband’s brother.
Preeti’s lawyer Siddharth Dave said that her client took citizenship of the Dominican Republic in April 2016 while a case was registered against her in 2018.
On this, the bench asked Dave the question that what was the need of this citizenship for the accused. When her children are in the US, she has a US passport and was working from the UAE.
Dave demands to allow Preeti to attend her family’s Shradh ceremony on humanitarian grounds. Preeti Chandra said that her maternal grandmother passed away on March 14 and she wants to attend his funeral.
—AnyTV News
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