New Delhi [India], November 20 : Delhi's Saket District court has recently granted bail to Haryana businessman Ved Pal Tanwar in a money laundering case linked with illegal mining in Haryana.
Tanwar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2024. The court has granted the relief in view of the closure of an FIR lodged in Haryana in 2023, upon which ED's case was based. The court also took note of the fact that the Supreme Court has already set aside the order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey granted bail to Ved Pal Tanwar on furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 5 lakh and two surety bonds in the like amount by local sureties.
"It is admitted fact that the closure report was accepted by competent court having jurisdiction of PS Tohsam District Bhiwani, Haryana in FIR No. 449 of 2023 PS Tohsam November 10, 2025 and as on date no predicate offence exist with respect to the said FIR," the court noted in the order of November 18.
The Court said that in view of the acceptance of the closure report and in view of order of Supreme Court while setting aside the order NGT on December 5, 202, and in view of the fact that Special Environment Court, Kurukshetra, Haryana had only taken the cognisance for commission of offence under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 on May 25, 2022 which is not a schedule offence as per PMLA, 2002, the Court is of the view that accused is entitled to be admitted on bail.
While granting bail, the court directed the accused that he shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Delhi court without permission of the court, except for his appearance before the other court where another case is pending.
He has also been directed to surrender his passport to the investigation officer.
Advocate Sumer Singh Boparai appeared for Tanwar and argued that the existence of the predicate offence is essential for proceeding under PMLA, and after closure of the proceeding in FIR of Police Station Tohsam, no predicate offence exists as of the date.
The bail application was opposed by ED's Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Simon Benjamin, who submitted that the present bail application was moved on behalf of the applicant on November 12, after the order of the Supreme Court on October 14, directing the accused to surrender on or before December 11.