Sharma anticipatory bail plea: HC reserves order

In March 2012, ED had registered a case against Sharma for allegedly selling government land at a cheaper rate to Kutch-based Welspun Group.

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday reserved its order on the anticipatory bail application of suspended IAS officer Pradip Sharma who is facing arrest in a three-year-old alleged money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Ahmedabad.

During the argument it was revealed that Sharma allegedly remitted Rs 1.73 crore to the United States (US) through illegal channel. It was alleged that Sharma remitted Rs 1 crore to US while another chunk of Rs 73 lakh he remitted to his wife’s account in US. His lawyer, however, contended this revelation and said that there is nothing to prove such allegations. He said that Sharma received Rs 73 lakh after he sold off his flat in Ahmedabad.

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In March 2012, ED had registered a case against Sharma for allegedly selling government land at a cheaper rate to Kutch-based Welspun Group when serving as Collector of Kutch in 2004. The ACB claimed that this allocation caused a loss of about Rs 1 crore to the government exchequer and Sharma received financial benefits worth Rs 29.5 lakh through his wife Shyamal’s partnership in Value Packaging.

ED has submitted several documents claiming that there will be more revelation if it gets custody of Sharma. Following the hearing, justice Paresh Upadhyay reserved the order.