The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted bail to alleged insurgent Masasasong Ao in a money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.
Pronouncing the order from the bench, Justice Sanjeev Narula ruled in favor of Ao’s bail application. A comprehensive copy of the formal verdict is expected to be released at a later time.
Despite the favorable ruling in the financial probe, Ao will remain behind bars due to separate pending anti-terror charges. He has been in continuous custody since February 2020, when the National Investigation Agency arrested him under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The financial crimes investigation dates back to 2021, when the Enforcement Directorate opened an inquiry following the interception of Alemla Jamir at the Delhi airport on December 17, 2019. Jamir, identified by authorities as a self-styled cabinet minister of the banned separatist group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), was caught carrying Rs 72 lakh in cash while preparing to board a flight to Dimapur.
Ao was subsequently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
According to investigative findings in the linked anti-terror proceedings, the National Investigation Agency alleges that Ao and fellow members of the insurgent outfit collaborated with Jamir to operate an extortion network, launder and transfer terror funds, and execute disruptive operations.
