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A Delhi court on Thursday granted regular bail to Vinesh Kumar Chandel, co-founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal pilferage investigation.

The order was passed by additional sessions judge Amit Bansal at the Patiala House Courts. The court noted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had arrested Chandel under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, was given an opportunity to oppose the bail plea but chose not to do so.

Chandel had earlier approached the court seeking bail, following his arrest in the case. On 23 April, the court had issued notice to the ED and sought its response. However, just days later, on 28 April, his interim bail application on medical grounds was rejected.

In denying interim relief, the court had observed that while the grounds cited — including the deteriorating health of his 74-year-old mother suffering from dementia — were sympathetic, they did not meet the threshold of urgency or exceptional circumstances required in cases under the anti-money laundering law.

The court had emphasised that interim bail in such cases cannot be granted routinely and must be justified by compelling and immediate reasons.

Chandel was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on 23 April after the expiry of his custodial interrogation by the ED. The case stems from an Enforcement Case Information Report registered on 28 March, based on a First Information Report filed by the Economic Offences Wing.

According to the ED, I-PAC’s associated entity, Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, along with its directors, including Chandel, allegedly engaged in the generation and laundering of illicit funds through structured transactions. The agency has claimed that these involved unaccounted cash components, bogus invoices and the use of hawala channels.

Investigators further allege that company receipts were split between formal banking routes and cash payments, including funds said to have originated from political parties. These funds were allegedly used for election-related activities and efforts to influence public perception.

The ED has also claimed that approximately Rs 13.5 crore was introduced into the company’s accounts as unsecured, interest-free loans without clear commercial justification, and that fabricated invoices were used to legitimise questionable financial inflows.

The case remains under investigation.

With IANS inputs