OKRAM IBOBI SINGH Vs. DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition has been filed by the petitioner under Section 438 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 seeking to grant pre-arrest bail in connection with a case to be registered against him under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (in short, 'PML Act') by the respondent.

(2.) The facts in a nutshell are as follows:

(3.) It is the submission of Mr. Salman Khurshid, learned senior counsel for the petitioner that the sole intention of the present Government in arraying the petitioner as an accused in the case to be registered by the respondent is nothing but to gain political mileage, as if the petitioner, who is Ex-Chief Minister of Manipur, is arrested, then the preset Government would make believe to the people of Manipur that the previous Government was corrupt and the present Government is making all efforts to correct the misdeed done by the previous Government. He would submit that in the online news report, there is no material against the petitioner to array him as an accused and the allegations in the report are on mere assumption without any cogent material.