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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted ten days' interim bail to Gurupada Maji, an accused in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal mining scam in West Bengal.

Maji had sought interim bail to perform the annual ‘Shraddha’ and rituals of his deceased mother.

Senior Advocate N. Hariharan on behalf of Maji contended that the performance of these rites are necessary for religious purpose and are considered unavoidable in Bengali tradition.

On the contrary, Special Public Prosecutor Anurag S. Sharma, on behalf of ED, submitted that in August 2022, Maji was released on custody parole from August 25, 2022, to September 3, 2022 and was directed to be accompanied by three police personnel in plain clothes. He contended that Maji may again go for the performance of all rituals in custody parole.

Taking note of the fact that Maji has to visit his native village for the purpose of religious rites, the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma granted interim bail for 10 days to him from the day of his release on furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs.50,000 with two sureties of the like amount.

Maji had moved the High Court seeking interim bail through Advocates Sidhant Saraswat, Sumer Singh Boparai, Sidharth Yadav and Akshay Jain. 

Maji’s mother expired on August 16, 2022, and thereafter the Sessions Court on August 17, 2022, granted parole to him from August 17, 2022, to August 29, 2022, to perform the last rites of his mother.

According to ED, Maji is one of the partners of Anup Majee, the kingpin of illegal coal mining business activities in West Bengal.

The ED on August 2, 2022 had filed a supplementary charge prosecution complaint (PC) before the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi in the case of illegal coal mining by Anup Majee and others. In the supplementary PC, Maji and six companies controlled by him have been arrayed as accused, and Maji was arrested by the ED on May 25, 2022.

Case Title: Gurupada Maji v. Directorate of Enforcement