Supreme Court Upholds Bail as a Rule in Money Laundering Cases

The Supreme Court has ruled that bail should be the norm and jail the exception, even in money laundering cases, providing relief to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's aide. The decision sets aside a previous High Court order, emphasizing that individual liberty is the rule under the PMLA.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reaffirmed that bail should be the rule and jail the exception, even in money laundering cases. The ruling came as a relief to Prem Prakash, an aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who has been implicated in an illegal mining case by the Enforcement Directorate.

Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan underscored that no person should be deprived of liberty, clarifying that section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) does not negate this principle. This consensus aligns with an earlier verdict involving former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, asserting that individual liberty must always be upheld.

Additionally, the Supreme Court overturned a March 22 Jharkhand High Court decision that denied bail to Prakash. The top court has now directed the trial court to expedite the proceedings in the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)