VIJAY NARENDRA KUMAR KOTHARI Vs. DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This application was heard on 9th March, 2021. Pending order, applicant moved the Court for making further submissions. Accordingly, he was heard on 17th March, 2021. Again, the applicant moved an application to place on record order passed by the Co-ordinate Bench in Criminal Bail Application No.1322 of 2020.

(2.) Applicant is seeking his enlargement on bail in Special Case No.09 of 2017 in ECIR/05/MBZO/2016 registered by the Directorate of Enforcement, Bombay for the offence of money laundering punishable under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 as amended.

(3.) It is the second bail application. The first bail application was rejected by this Court vide order dated 29th November, 2019. Grounds urged in support of this application, were also urged in the first bail application except to say that orders granting bail to co-accused Sanjay Jain on 2nd May, 2018 and Saurabh Pandit on 4th October, 2018 were not brought to the notice of this Court. Thus, applicant relies on orders granting bail, to co-accused. Yet, another ground is that applicant is in custody since March, 2019 and since investigation is over and trial is not likely to commence in near future, applicant be released on bail on such terms to ensure and secure his presence for the trial. Besides, applicant has also relied on the order of the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in Criminal Bail Application No.1322 of 2020 in the case of Deepak Kochar v. Directorate of Enforcement.