Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) – The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary Suraj Chavan, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged scam involving the distribution of 'khichdi' packets to migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Milind Jadhav, while allowing Chavan’s bail plea, highlighted that he had been in custody for over a year and that the trial was unlikely to conclude anytime soon. "If the applicant's detention is further continued, it would amount to an infringement of his fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which ensures a speedy trial and guarantees personal liberty," the court observed.
Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Uddhav Thackeray's party, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January 2024. The case against him originates from a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police.
According to the ED, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had allocated ₹8.64 crore to Force One Multi Services for the distribution of 'khichdi' packets to migrant workers stranded in Mumbai due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, a financial discrepancy of ₹3.64 crore was uncovered, with ₹1.25 crore allegedly being diverted into Chavan’s bank account and ₹10 lakh transferred to his partnership firm, Fire Fighters Enterprises.
The ED claimed that Chavan had utilized the "proceeds of crime," totaling ₹1.35 crore, to invest in property and a dairy business.
With the court granting him bail, Chavan now awaits further legal proceedings as the case continues.
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