The Supreme Court has cancelled the interim bail of former MLA Dharam Singh Chhokar, accused in a money laundering case. Despite the relief granted on medical grounds, the court ordered him to surrender, finding him guilty of misleading.
Haryana: The Supreme Court has cancelled the interim bail of Dharam Singh Chhokar, a former Congress MLA from Samalkha, Haryana. The court has strictly ordered him to surrender immediately. This order came in a money laundering case involving over 600 crore rupees, in which Chhokar is the main accused.
ED levied serious allegations
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleges that Dharam Singh Chhokar, through his company Sai Aina Farms Private Limited, defrauded approximately 3700 homebuyers. The ED claims that Chhokar laundered 616 crore rupees through this fraud.
Interim bail was granted on medical grounds
Dharam Singh Chhokar was granted interim bail some time ago on medical grounds for surgery. However, he did not undergo any surgery even after getting bail. The court found that Chhokar misused the bail and misled the court with false facts.
Strong remarks by the Supreme Court
On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by Chhokar seeking an extension of the bail period. The court said that the accused had made a mockery of the judicial process and it was clearly a case of misleading the court.
Seen in public places after being discharged from the hospital
After being discharged from the hospital on July 5, Dharam Singh Chhokar was seen openly roaming around. When this fact came before the court, the court found that it was a violation of the terms of interim bail. Chhokar could not produce any credible medical documents during this period to prove his illness and treatment.
Had been absconding for two years
The ED also informed the court that Dharam Singh Chhokar had been absconding for the last two years. This was also a major reason why the court decided to cancel the bail.
The lawyer was also reprimanded
The Supreme Court also reprimanded Dharam Singh Chhokar's lawyer. The court believes that the lawyer also gave false information before the court and in a way tried to mislead the court.
Properties were seized
The Enforcement Directorate has seized movable and immovable properties worth approximately 44 crore rupees of Dharam Singh Chhokar, his son, and his company. These properties include immovable properties in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad and Panipat, amounts deposited in bank accounts and fixed deposits. During the investigation, Chhokar's son Sikandar Chhokar was also arrested. Sikandar is also accused of being involved in the case and investigation agencies are gathering evidence against him.
