Popular Front of India’s Delhi chief gets bail in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to three members of the Popular Front of India, including the banned organisation’s Delhi chief, in connection to a money laundering case. The three, however, will not be freed from jail as they are also convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The three PFI members — Parvez Ahmed, the group’s chief in Delhi, General Secretary Mohammad Ilyas and Abdul Muqeet — were granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each and a surety of the same amount.
The Enforcement Directorate had alleged that the three accused collected funds for or on behalf of PFI, provided fake receipts and deposited the amount in accounts under the organisation’s name, reports Live Law.
The bench headed by Justice Jasmeet Singh, however, said that collecting money illegally to commit a scheduled offence in future is not an offence of money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“The funds so collected are not proceeds of crime and can be proceeds of crime only when they were generated as a result of a scheduled offence,” Justice Singh said.
“The proceeds of crime have to be generated as a result of criminal activity (scheduled offence). The collection of funds in an illegal way to commit a scheduled offence in future is not an offence of money laundering under PMLA.”
Despite being granted bail, Ahmed, Ilyas and Muqeet will remain in jail as they are also accused in the UAPA case.