In a significant development concerning the Delhi Jal Board money laundering case, the Rouse Avenue Court has granted regular bail to a Chartered Accountant (CA) who is among the accused in the case. The CA, along with three others, including a former Chief Engineer at Delhi Jal Board (DJB), faces charges filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the court has taken cognizance of the charge sheet.
Special Judge Bhupinder Singh approved bail for Tejinder Pal Singh upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 1 lakh along with one surety of a similar amount. The conditions of bail include surrendering any passport held by the accused, if not already surrendered, within 15 days.
The judge noted in the order dated April 9 that the evidence in the case is primarily documentary, and investigations have been concluded since the filing of the ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report).
Advocate Vipin Kandwal, representing the accused, argued that his client had been falsely implicated in the case at the behest of individuals with vested interests against him. Kandwal also mentioned that the accused promptly appeared in court upon receiving a summons on April 3.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Manish Jain, along with advocates Snehal Sharda and Ishan Baisla, appeared on behalf of the ED and requested the court to decide on the application by the law, urging strict conditions if bail were to be granted.
The ED recently filed a charge sheet against four individuals, alleging irregularities in the tendering process for electromagnetic flow meters by the Delhi Jal Board. The case originated from a CBI investigation and subsequently transitioned into a money laundering probe by the ED.
The charge sheet asserts that proceeds of crime were utilized for election funding of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with former DJB Chief Engineer and other officers allegedly involved in the transfer of funds. The investigation into the final utilization of the proceeds of crime, amounting to Rs. 2,00,78,242, is ongoing, according to the ED.
Former DJB Chief Engineer Jagdish Kumar Arora is accused of receiving proceeds of crime amounting to Rs. 3.19 crores through the CA, Tejinder Pal Singh. The charge sheet further alleges that a significant portion of the funds disbursed by DJB for a contract were not utilized as intended and were instead retained or distributed as illegal gratification.
The court had previously taken cognizance of the charge sheet, issuing summons to the accused. While two accused were arrested by the ED, the other two, including the CA, were charged without arrest.
The case revolves around allegations of falsified documents and kickbacks in the procurement process, with ED claiming that the accused colluded to siphon funds from DJB contracts. The investigation continues to uncover the extent of financial impropriety and misuse of public funds in the matter.