A petition in HC filed by the Assistant Director of Directorate of Enforcement, Jalandhar, sough cancellation of the interim bail. But trail court again extended the bail on May 8 to June 20 and then to July 1 and finally up to July 3. (Representational)
In line with directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the interim bail of one of the key accused in the multi-crore Jagdish Singh Bhola drug case, Chuni Lal Gaba, was not extended further by the trial court on Saturday. The court instead sent him in judicial custody.
Gaba was granted interim bail on March 28 this year by the court of Special judge CBI where the trial of the case is going on.
This was challenged in HC by the ED on April 17. A petition in HC filed by the Assistant Director of Directorate of Enforcement, Jalandhar, sough cancellation of the interim bail. But trail court again extended the bail on May 8 to June 20 and then to July 1 and finally up to July 3.
On July 2, the division bench of the High Court, while hearing the ED petition, referred the matter back to the trial court with directions that the department be given full opportunity of being heard and to oppose the extension of interim bail, taking into consideration the gravity of the offence.
High Court also made it clear that while hearing the matter that bail in cases involving heinous crimes, like the offenses under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 and Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, may not be granted as a matter of right.
Following this order of High Court, the court of Special Judge CBI directed Superintendent of Central Jail, Jalandhar, on Saturday to take Chuni Lal Gaba in judicial custody and together with the warrant he be produced in the court on July 10 through video conferencing.
A chargesheet against Chuni Lal Gaba has already filed in the Patiala court. Earlier, ED had taken the possession of property Gaba, a Goraya-based businessman, worth Rs 85 crore and his three sons.
ED had also recovered a controversial diary of Gaba in which he had mentioned the names of some politicians and the alleged payments made to them against their names.
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