Ganesh Kendale
The Supreme Court granted bail to MLA Abbas Ansari on Friday in a money laundering case. Ansari, the son of the late gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, received the relief from a bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal.
SC had sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on an appeal by Ansari challenging the Allahabad high court‘s order. On May 9, the high court rejected Ansari’s bail plea, citing sufficient evidence linking him to money laundering activities through two firms, M/s Vikas Construction and M/s Aaghaaz.
The high court observed, “Considering the material available on record, including the flow charts which clearly demonstrate the origin of funds and also explains how the funds found their way into the accounts of the accused Ansari, this court finds him not entitled for a bail at this stage.”
The ED registered a case against Ansari under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, based on three previous cases, and he has been in custody since November 4, 2022. Abbas Ansari, an MLA from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), is currently held in Kasganj jail.
