New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Pooja Singh, who was allegedly a close aide of conman Sukesh Chandrashekar.
Singh is accused of aiding Chandrashekar while he was in Tihar Jail through a contractual nursing staff, and facilitating an extortion racket from inside the prison.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma noted that Singh is a young woman around the age of 25 to 26, and the Enforcement Directorate did not accuse her of benefiting financially from her actions.
The court also recognised the possibility of a young person with an immature mind being manipulated by Chandrashekar’s tactics.
The court said that the mere contention that Singh was promised rewards was not enough to conclude that she committed an offense under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It said that individuals of her age might deviate due to the allure of easy money, adding that each case’s circumstances are unique.
“Persons of such tender age sometimes in the anxiety of getting easy money get deviated. The facts of each case are peculiar in nature,” the court said.
Singh’s alleged involvement included purchasing luxurious items for Chandrashekar and Leena Maria Paul, which were reportedly delivered to Tihar Jail through her.
She was also accused of making payments to various individuals on Chandrashekar’s instructions.
The ED argued that Singh was well aware of the nature of the activities and tasks she was undertaking, making her complicit in money laundering.
However, Singh’s defence was that she acted under the scope of a master-servant relationship. She asserted that all relevant evidence had been seized by the agency, eliminating the possibility of tampering.
Taking into account the overall circumstances and Singh’s age, the court concluded that she should be granted bail.
She has been instructed to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with one surety of the same amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.
