Overview
- Chandel, arrested on April 13 in a coal-pilferage-linked money-laundering case, won regular bail on Thursday after the ED told the Delhi court it would not oppose his plea.
- The judge required a Rs 2 lakh bond with a matching surety and ordered him to cooperate with investigators, remain reachable, avoid influencing witnesses, and seek permission before leaving India.
- Because prosecutors did not contest the application, the court said the stringent Section 45 'twin conditions' under the anti-money-laundering law did not apply.
- Investigators allege I-PAC routed funds through hawala channels and bogus invoices and split receipts between bank transfers and cash, with about Rs 50 crore in suspect flows detected so far.
- The timing—one day after West Bengal polling ended—drew political criticism from opponents including AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj, while the probe continues and further evidence collection is expected.