Delhi HC denies bail to conman’s wife in money laundering case

Leena Paulose, the wife of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, was denied bail by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday in connection with the Rs 200-crore money laundering case.

New Delhi:  Leena Paulose, the wife of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, was denied bail by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday in connection with the Rs 200-crore money laundering case.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma also dismissed the bail requests made by co-accused Kamlesh Kothari and B. Mohan Raj. In her plea for bail, Paulose argued that most of the charges against her, as filed by the police, were bailable offences.

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She maintained that she had no direct involvement with her husband, Sukesh Chandrashekar, who is the primary accused in the case. Paulose’s counsel contended that as a woman, she should be entitled to bail. Opposing the bail plea, the police counsel argued that this was a serious case, with Chandrashekar being accused of making fraudulent calls from jail by impersonating high-ranking officials.

The counsel further asserted that there was a clear conspiracy between Paulose and her husband. Paulose had moved the HC on December 10 seeking bail in the case registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police.

The EOW had registered an FIR against Chandrashekhar last year. It filed a charge sheet naming 14 accused, including Chandrashekhar, Paulose, and others under various Sections of IPC and provisions of the MCOCA. Chandrashekhar had allegedly defrauded the spouses of former promoters of Ranbaxy, Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of Rs 200 crore.

He had cheated their wives Aditi Singh and Japna Singh worth several crores by posing as an officer from the Union Law Ministry and ensuring he would secure bail for their husbands. According to EOW, Leena, Sukesh, and others used Hawala routes, creating Shell companies to park the money earned from swindling