Misa Bharti, her husband granted bail in money laundering case

Special CBI court on Monday granted bail to RJD MP Misa Bharti and her husband on the condition that both cannot leave the country without the Court's permission. Misa Bharti and her husband had appeared before the special CBI court in connection with a money laundering case.

During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the bail plea of the accused, saying they indulged in a "very serious" economic offence. "Persons on such a post are committing such kind of activities which are totally against the nation," ED counsel Atul Tripathi said.

A special court in Delhi took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by ED and summoned the couple as accused in the case.

The agency, in its chargesheet filed against the couple in December, had said they were "party and actively connected with proceeds of crime including its concealment, possession, acquisition or use and projecting or claiming it as untainted property, and thus are guilty of the offence of money laundering."

The case is related to the purchase of a farmhouse in Delhi by Misa Bharti and her husband in the name of their company - Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd - "using Rs. 1.2 crore involved in money laundering in the year 2008-09." Misa has been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the case.

Misa Bharti has put the onus of running a company being probed for money laundering on her husband and a dead CA, even though the ED has said that the duo "actively conspired" to launder Rs. 1.2 crore using shell firms.

She gave brief replies and told the agency that the day-to-day business activities of the firm were "looked after by her husband Shailesh Kumar and the financial records of this company were maintained by the CA of the company, late Sandeep Sharma."

(With agency inputs)