The Patiala House court in New Delhi granted bail on Thursday to Vinesh Chandela, director and co-founder of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), in a money laundering case. Chandela was arrested earlier this month by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.
Court's Decision and ED's Stance
The court's decision followed the ED's response to Chandela's bail plea, in which the agency did not oppose his release. During the previous hearing, the court had issued a notice to the ED seeking its stand on the bail application. Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, representing Chandela, informed the court that the ED filed its reply and raised no objection to the grant of bail, primarily because Chandela had cooperated with the investigating agency and provided voluntary and purposeful cooperation. Pahwa stated, "He has also provided the information and other data required during the investigation. The statement of the investigating officer was recorded, and no objection was raised."
Previous Bail Plea and Arrest
Earlier, the court had dismissed Chandela's interim bail plea, which was filed on the grounds of his mother's illness. The regular bail application was then listed for further consideration. Chandela was arrested after the ED conducted searches at multiple locations in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai as part of its probe into a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.
Investigation Details
The investigation pertains to financial dealings involving I-PAC, a political consultancy firm that has worked with parties including the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Officials are also examining transactions linked to Vijay Nair, with sources indicating that certain payments made to the consultancy firm are under scrutiny as part of the broader probe.
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