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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today ordered that it would hear the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging Delhi High Court order granting bail to Preeti Chandra, wife of Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra on Friday.

While doing so, CJI DY Chandrachud has asked ASG SV Raju to file a two-page note on his submissions. Court has further allowed Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Chandra, to file a response.

At the outset, ASG Raju told the bench also comprising Justices Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that a group of companies was involved in the instant case which had accounts at Cayman islands.

"She is a Dominican Republic citizen, that citizenship also has been procured so that she can run off after siphoning money..", ASG added.

CJI then remarked that Chandra had already been in custody for over 620 days.

Notably, the Supreme Court had on June 16 stayed the high court’s June 14 order granting bail to Chandra and had issued notice on the ED’s plea challenging the bail.

Last week, ASG Raju had told the top court that Chandra was actively involved in the whole case. Court was further told that she was not a mere director and the case was not as simple as the respondents were trying to make out.

ED had registered a case under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against the Unitech Group and its promoters over allegations that the owners Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra illegally diverted over Rs 2,000 crore to Cyprus and the Cayman Islands.

The money laundering case arose from a number of Delhi Police and CBI FIRs filed by the home buyers against the Unitech Group and its promoters.

It has been alleged that funds collected from home buyers for housing projects were not utilised for their intended purpose and that the buyers were cheated and the accused committed the offence of money laundering.

Case Title:  ED vs. Preeti Chandra