The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Avtar Singh Kochar, an accused in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case, which allegedly involves Sukesh Chandrasekar and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez. Kochar, who has been in custody for the past two years, secured bail after Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma took into account his custody duration, age, and medical conditions.
The High Court imposed conditions on Kochar’s release after granting bail in both the money laundering and MCOCA cases. In each case, he must provide a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh as well as two surety bonds of comparable amounts. Furthermore, he is required to obtain prior court permission before leaving the country, refrain from directly or indirectly influencing any witnesses, and maintain regular contact with the Investigating Officer (IO) of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) by providing his phone number and marking his presence in the EOW office.
Kochar, 69, is accused in the MCOCA case, which was initiated by the EOW on Aditi Singh’s complaint, of Rs 200 crore extortion. Sukesh Chandrasekar and other individuals associated with the case were arrested after Delhi Police filed a charge sheet. Following that, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Following the ED’s charge sheet, a special court in New Delhi summoned Jacqueline Fernandez and other accused persons. Fernandez appeared before the court and was granted bail by the special judge at Patiala House Court. Both cases, associated with the alleged scandal, remain under consideration before a special judge.