Overview
- Sukesh Chandrashekhar, booked by the Enforcement Directorate in 2017 over the AIADMK ‘two leaves’ symbol case, won bail Tuesday after a Delhi special court prioritized liberty and speedy-trial rights.
- The court ordered release on a personal bond of ₹5 lakh with sureties of ₹5 lakh each, and set conditions that include surrendering his passport, not contacting witnesses, sharing his address and phone number, and seeking permission before any foreign travel.
- He will remain in jail on other pending matters, with reporting noting 31 cases against him and bail already granted in 26 of them.
- Special Judge Vishal Gogne said his custody had crossed half of the PMLA’s seven-year maximum and noted High Court stays that stalled the base FIR since September 30, 2019, and the ED case since January 6, 2024.
- The ED opposed bail, citing the law’s twin conditions under Section 45 and his conduct, while the case itself alleges he acted as a middleman for T T V Dinakaran to bribe an Election Commission official, with ₹1.30 crore and two luxury cars reported seized at his 2017 arrest.