In a recent development, the Supreme Court has granted bail to MLA Abbas Ansari, who has been embroiled in a money laundering case. The decision was made by a bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal, marking a significant turn in the legal battles for Ansari, the son of the late gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
The apex court’s ruling comes after a series of legal proceedings, including a rejection of Ansari’s bail plea by the Allahabad High Court on May 9. The High Court had previously determined that the evidence, particularly financial flow charts, substantiated the allegations of money laundering through Ansari’s involvement with the firms M/s Vikas Construction and M/s Aaghaaz. These companies are accused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of being conduits for laundering funds.
On August 14, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the ED, seeking its response to Ansari’s appeal, which challenged the High Court’s decision to deny him bail. The High Court had argued that the financial trail linked Ansari directly to suspicious transactions involving the aforementioned firms.
Abbas Ansari, a member of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), was initially arrested on November 4, 2022. The case against him was lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, based on investigations stemming from three prior cases linked to financial irregularities.
