New Delhi, June 14, 2024, The Supreme Court has dismissed the bail plea of Leena Paulose, wife of conman Sukesh Chandrasekar, in connection with a suspected extortion case amounting to ₹200 crore. A vacation bench comprising Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and Augustine George Masih cited the severity of the allegations and the ongoing trial as reasons for denying interim bail to Paulose.
The apex court upheld the decision of the Delhi High Court, which had earlier rejected Paulose's plea for temporary relief on May 25. The case, investigated by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), revolves around allegations of extortion against her.
Sukesh Chandrasekar, accused of defrauding the spouses of Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh, former promoters of Ranbaxy, is at the center of the allegations. It is alleged that Paulose paid substantial amounts to Chandrasekar, who posed as a Ministry of Law official, to secure bail for the Singh brothers.The chargesheet filed by the EOW against Leena Paulose under Sections 170, 186, 384, 386, 388, 419, 420, 406, 409, 420, 468, 471, 353, 506, 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999.
Both Chandrasekar and Paulose were arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the extortion case involving the Singh brothers' spouses. Additionally, they are facing prosecution in a money laundering case pursued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).The Delhi High Court previously noted the involvement of the accused in the crime and upheld the trial court's decision to deny bail, considering them prima facie guilty.
The next hearing in this matter is scheduled for July 8, 2024, before a regular bench of the Supreme Court.
