In the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers, 2021 (REET) paper leak case, the Supreme Court granted conditional bail to accused Ramkripal Meena in the ED case, while giving concession in the strict provisions of PMLA. Meena is accused of leaking and distributing the question paper of Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers, 2021 (REET) by taking Rs 1.20 crore.
Bail has been granted in this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) related to the paper leak. The Supreme Court said that he has been in jail for more than a year. While in the PMLA case, it will take time to examine the witnesses. The trial is also not likely to be completed soon. Bail has been granted in the fraud case against him. A bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan said that the rigor of Section 45 of PMLA can be relaxed in view of the specific facts and circumstances of the case as the case is still in the stage of framing the charges of the complaint.
Investigation of 24 witnesses proposed
As 24 witnesses are yet to be examined in the case, it will take time to reach a conclusion. The petitioner, the accused in the case, has been in judicial custody for more than a year. Considering the time spent in custody by the petitioner and besides the fact that the petitioner is already out on bail in the foregoing offence, there is no likelihood of the trial being completed in the near future. We feel that the rigours of Section 45 can be relaxed in specific facts and circumstances.
Meena’s passport will remain with the court
The court granted bail subject to the terms and conditions imposed by the sessions court. It was directed that Meena’s passport will remain with the special court. He will submit a list of his immovable properties, which the ED will be free to confiscate and his bank account will remain seized. The Supreme Court was hearing Meena’s challenge to the Rajasthan High Court’s order denying bail.