New Delhi, April 7 A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a money laundering case related to the AIADMK's "two leaves" election symbol.
Special Judge Vishal Gogne granted the relief to him on a personal bond and a surety bond of Rs 5 lakh each.
Chandrasekhar will, however, remain in jail in other pending cases lodged against him.
"Given that liberty is the most fundamental principle in our Constitution, the court cannot preach liberty while simultaneously exploiting the state through special legislation or economic offenses," Judge Gogne said.
He stated that while money laundering remains a serious offense, a special law like the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is not something the state should use to infringe upon the liberty of an accused through the court.
"Therefore, even the existence of 31 cases (including the present case) against the accused does not negate his right to bail in this particular case, especially when the period of detention has exceeded half of the proposed imprisonment period under Section 4 of the PMLA," the judge said.
"Given that the proceedings have effectively been put on hold for several years, both in the original offense and the current complaint under the PMLA, the accused has not only endured excessive detention during the trial but also risks further prolonged detention without a trial," he added.