Supreme Court grants bail to MLA Abbas Ansari in money laundering case

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal gave the relief to Ansari. The apex court on August 14 had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and sought its reply on the appeal filed by Ansari challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court which rejected his bail.

The high court on May 9 had dismissed Ansari's bail plea. Considering the material available on record, including the flow charts which clearly demonstrate the origin of funds and also explains how the funds found their way into the accounts of the accused Ansari, this court finds him not entitled for a bail at this stage, the high court had said.

The high court had also mentioned in its order that the money trail links Ansari with the movement of funds to and from the two firms -- M/s Vikas Construction and M/s Aaghaaz. The firms, the ED has alleged, were used by Ansari for money laundering.

The ED had registered a case against Ansari, a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on the basis of three previous cases. Ansari was booked in this case on November 4, 2022. The Mau MLA is currently lodged in the Kasganj jail.