Delhi HC dismisses bail plea by Ambience group promoter in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed bail plea by Ambience group promoter Raj Singh Gehlot in a money laundering case linked to an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 800 crore.

The order was pronounced by Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri who had reserved the verdict on the bail application on February 10.

Gehlot was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in July last year.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier raided Gehlot, his company Aman Hospitality Private Limited (AHPL), some other firms of the Ambience group, director in the company Dayanand Singh, Mohan Singh Gehlot, and their associates.

The ED case against Gehlot, a promoter of the Ambience Mall in Gurugram, is based on a 2019 FIR of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Jammu against AHPL and its directors for alleged money laundering in the construction and development of the five-star Leela Ambience Convention Hotel located near Yamuna Sports Complex in Delhi.

The ED claimed its probe found that a huge part of the loan amount of more than Rs 800 crore, which was sanctioned by a consortium of banks for the hotel project, was siphoned off by AHPL, Raj Singh Gehlot, and his associates through a web of companies owned and controlled by them.

Gehlot, represented by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sandeep Kapur, Senior Partner at Karanjawala & Co, sought bail in the case on the ground that he has been in custody since July and his continued incarceration was not necessary after the filing of the charge sheet in the case.

ED lawyer Zoheb Hossain opposed the grant of bail and said that the case involved serious allegations.

In October last year, Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana had refused to grant bail to Gehlot, saying that there was a strong possibility that he could hamper the investigation if released on bail.

“Considering the nature of the offence, seriousness of allegations and a strong possibility of applicant/ accused attempting to influence the course of trial by influencing the witnesses and tampering with the evidence, I am of the considered opinion that the bail application is bereft of any merits and the same is accordingly dismissed,” the trial court had said.