By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Tuesday granted four months temporary bail to actor and producer Sachin Joshi in connection with a money laundering case.
Joshi was arrested for allegedly laundering Rs 100 crore along with Mumbai-based firm Omkar Realtors.
A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna, however, made it clear that no application for further extension of time would be entertained.
The temporary bail granted will be subject to conditions imposed by the sessions court, the bench said.
The bench took note of the submission of senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, who appeared for Joshi, and said that the actor-producer require medical treatment.
“We have seen the material on record, we are of the opinion that the high court has committed no error by interfering with the order passed by the sessions court.
However, taking note of submissions made by Mr.
Luthra about the treatment of the petitioner, we grant temporary bail for a period of four months.
However it is made clear that no application for extension shall be entertained,” the bench said.
Luthra submitted that the medical record which was placed before the high court clearly shows that the petitioner has to be under constant treatment apart from several procedures including spine surgery.
He said that a person who is sick is entitled to permanent bail as provided under the law.
However, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), referred to the medical record and argued that surgical interventions are minor and the petitioner is not entitled to bail.
The Bombay High Court had in May cancelled the bail granted to Joshi and allowed the application filed by the ED seeking cancellation of bail.
The high court, however, had granted him two months to surrender and allowed his plea to be treated at a private hospital as he was COVID-19 positive.
Omkar Group is accused of committing fraud in connection with Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme works.
