SC allows ex-Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandras wife to attend grandmothers funeral
New Delhi Mar 25 PTI The Supreme Court Friday conditionally allowed former Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandras wife Preeti lodged in Tihar Jail in a money laundering case five hours out of the prison on March 26 or April 5 to attend her maternal grandmothers funeralA bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah asked Preeti to submit her Dominican Republic passport or any other passport that she has to the investigating officer before being allowed out of the prisonIt said We are inclined to permit the applicant to travel to the designated place within Delhi for one day between 10 am and 3 pm in connection with rites which have been conducted by the family for the deceased The bench ordered that she will not use any cell phone to communicate with anybody or access any other documents and that she will be escorted to the designated place by four Delhi Police personnel and officials of the Enforcement Directorate EDThe team shall be led by an officer not less than the rank of inspector it saidThe top court said that in view of the Preetis antecedents it deems fit to issue strict directions which shall be scrupulously complied with by her and the law enforcement agenciesThe applicant Preeti shall be allowed to proceed from Tihar Jail where she is presently lodged to the designated place where the funeral rights are being conducted between 10am and 3 pm and shall return back to the Tihar jail on the same day immediately after the ceremonies are completed it saidThe bench said Preeti shall in advance furnish to the investigating officer the address of the place where she has to proceed for attending the ceremoniesPrior to the departure of the applicant from Tihar jail Dominican passport and any other passport if any which is being held by the applicant shall be surrendered to the investigating officer it saidThe top court added that during the period of departure and return to Tihar jail Preeti shall not be permitted to use any communication device including a cell phone and no document shall be allowed to be accessedIt said that the permission which has been granted shall be confined to one day either on April 5 or March 26 which is the option of the applicant and the day shall be intimated in advance to the investigating officerThe applicant shall not visit any place other than the designated place for the purpose for which directions have been issued The expenditure to be incurred shall be deposited in advance for the police escort the bench said adding that the permission has been granted purely on humanitarian grounds and would not create any precedentThe ED had opposed the relief saying she was a flight risk and has acquired citizenship of the Dominican Republic with which India has no extradition treaty and that the agency does not want to burn their hands by allowing her to flee the country Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan appearing for the ED said Preeti is director in various shell companies of Unitech and was an active actor in the conspiracy of the money laundering operation being run from the UAEShe said that Preeti who was arrested on March 10 2021 had attempted to flee the country but was prevented from doing due to the lookout circularDivan submitted that Preetis two children hold US passports and she has substantial assets abroad and has been active participants in the transaction of the Unitech Group from Cayman Island Mauritius and SingaporeShe said that Preeti was involved in money laundering operations from the UAE and was actively involved in a conspiracy to undermine Tihar Jail officials in passing messages to her husband when he was lodged thereWe have burnt our hands many times and she poses enormous flight risk Divan said adding that her regular bail was also earlier dismissedSenior advocate Siddharth Dave appearing for Preeti said that her maternal grandmother had expired on March 14 and she needed to attend the funeral ceremoniesHe said that to allay the apprehension of ED she would submit the passport of the Dominican Republic of which she has acquired the citizenship on April 11 2016On March 23 the top court had asked the ED to file its response on a plea filed by Preeti seeking interim bail to take part in the last ritesThe ED had expressed apprehension that she may leave the country if granted bail and said it is better to be safe than be sorry The ED had recently filed a fresh charge sheet before a court here in connection with its money laundering probe against realty group Unitech its promoter brothers Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra and others The ED had made a startling claim in November last year that it had unearthed a secret underground office here which was being operated by erstwhile Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra and visited by his sons Sanjay and Ajay when on parole or bail Both Sanjay and Ajay in jail since August 2017 are accused of allegedly siphoning off home buyers money On November 10 last year the top court had said that it is a sorry state of affairs in Tihar Jail which has become a den of criminals and murders are happening there It had directed the Home Ministry to take immediate steps on prison reforms and enhance management PTI MNL MNL TIR TIR
New Delhi Mar 25 PTI The Supreme Court Friday conditionally allowed former Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandras wife Preeti lodged in Tihar Jail in a money laundering case five hours out of the prison on March 26 or April 5 to attend her maternal grandmothers funeralA bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah asked Preeti to submit her Dominican Republic passport or any other passport that she has to the investigating officer before being allowed out of the prisonIt said We are inclined to permit the applicant to travel to the designated place within Delhi for one day between 10 am and 3 pm in connection with rites which have been conducted by the family for the deceased The bench ordered that she will not use any cell phone to communicate with anybody or access any other documents and that she will be escorted to the designated place by four Delhi Police personnel and officials of the Enforcement Directorate EDThe team shall be led by an officer not less than the rank of inspector it saidThe top court said that in view of the Preetis antecedents it deems fit to issue strict directions which shall be scrupulously complied with by her and the law enforcement agenciesThe applicant Preeti shall be allowed to proceed from Tihar Jail where she is presently lodged to the designated place where the funeral rights are being conducted between 10am and 3 pm and shall return back to the Tihar jail on the same day immediately after the ceremonies are completed it saidThe bench said Preeti shall in advance furnish to the investigating officer the address of the place where she has to proceed for attending the ceremoniesPrior to the departure of the applicant from Tihar jail Dominican passport and any other passport if any which is being held by the applicant shall be surrendered to the investigating officer it saidThe top court added that during the period of departure and return to Tihar jail Preeti shall not be permitted to use any communication device including a cell phone and no document shall be allowed to be accessedIt said that the permission which has been granted shall be confined to one day either on April 5 or March 26 which is the option of the applicant and the day shall be intimated in advance to the investigating officerThe applicant shall not visit any place other than the designated place for the purpose for which directions have been issued The expenditure to be incurred shall be deposited in advance for the police escort the bench said adding that the permission has been granted purely on humanitarian grounds and would not create any precedentThe ED had opposed the relief saying she was a flight risk and has acquired citizenship of the Dominican Republic with which India has no extradition treaty and that the agency does not want to burn their hands by allowing her to flee the country Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan appearing for the ED said Preeti is director in various shell companies of Unitech and was an active actor in the conspiracy of the money laundering operation being run from the UAEShe said that Preeti who was arrested on March 10 2021 had attempted to flee the country but was prevented from doing due to the lookout circularDivan submitted that Preetis two children hold US passports and she has substantial assets abroad and has been active participants in the transaction of the Unitech Group from Cayman Island Mauritius and SingaporeShe said that Preeti was involved in money laundering operations from the UAE and was actively involved in a conspiracy to undermine Tihar Jail officials in passing messages to her husband when he was lodged thereWe have burnt our hands many times and she poses enormous flight risk Divan said adding that her regular bail was also earlier dismissedSenior advocate Siddharth Dave appearing for Preeti said that her maternal grandmother had expired on March 14 and she needed to attend the funeral ceremoniesHe said that to allay the apprehension of ED she would submit the passport of the Dominican Republic of which she has acquired the citizenship on April 11 2016On March 23 the top court had asked the ED to file its response on a plea filed by Preeti seeking interim bail to take part in the last ritesThe ED had expressed apprehension that she may leave the country if granted bail and said it is better to be safe than be sorry The ED had recently filed a fresh charge sheet before a court here in connection with its money laundering probe against realty group Unitech its promoter brothers Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra and others The ED had made a startling claim in November last year that it had unearthed a secret underground office here which was being operated by erstwhile Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra and visited by his sons Sanjay and Ajay when on parole or bail Both Sanjay and Ajay in jail since August 2017 are accused of allegedly siphoning off home buyers money On November 10 last year the top court had said that it is a sorry state of affairs in Tihar Jail which has become a den of criminals and murders are happening there It had directed the Home Ministry to take immediate steps on prison reforms and enhance management PTI MNL MNL TIR TIR
