The Supreme Court on Friday directed former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker to surrender to jail authorities by 5 PM on July 12 in connection with an alleged ₹1,500 crore money laundering case. The court refused to entertain Chhoker’s plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s refusal to extend his interim medical bail.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Rajesh Bindal and R Mahadevan heard the matter. Chhoker’s legal team, led by senior advocate Ashok Aggarwal and advocate Ashish Pandey, argued that the High Court erred by restricting the interim bail to a “one-time measure” despite the politician’s deteriorating health and the alleged custodial assault during his arrest.
Chhoker was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 4 from a five-star hotel in Delhi. His plea claimed the arrest was carried out in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution and without following due process, resulting in injuries, including a fractured hand.
On June 19, the High Court granted interim bail solely for Chhoker to undergo surgery at a hospital of his choice, but directed that he must surrender by July 12. His counsel challenged this limitation, citing Section 45(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allows bail for those who are “sick or infirm.”
“The condition restricting bail till July 12 is constitutionally impermissible,” argued Aggarwal, adding that it denied Chhoker adequate time to challenge the legality of his arrest and subsequent remand. The High Court had also deferred the hearing of his main writ petition to a date after the surrender deadline.
However, the Supreme Court bench remained unmoved by the submissions. With the bench not inclined to intervene, Chhoker’s lawyers chose to withdraw the petition.
Chhoker had earlier approached the Supreme Court in May but was advised to seek relief from the High Court. With the July 12 deadline approaching, the former MLA will now have to surrender as ordered.
