Mumbai: A lockdown court on Friday rejected the temporary bail plea filed by Yes Bank founder and ex-CEO Rana Kapoor on grounds of the coronavirus pandemic and underlying health conditions and age that make him prone to infections.
Additional Sessions Judge PR Sitre designated to hear urgent applications in cases booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) noted in his order that the medical certificate filed by Taloja jail authorities, where Kapoor is lodged, stated that he is not suffering from any diseases that are dangerous to his life. The order also stated that the jail authority was in a position to look after the COVID-19 emergency.
Other observations of the court while rejecting the interim bail plea was that Kapoor was arrested on March 8 and that the investigation was still at an initial stage. “So also, under such circumstances and considering the prevailing situation, there is no need to consider the application at this juncture,” it said.
Rana Kapoor’s bail plea, filed by advocate Subhash Jadhav Kapoor, had told the court that he suffers from a chronic immunodeficiency syndrome that causes recurrent lung, sinus and skin infections.
“This combined with his history of longstanding bronchial asthma since childhood still requiring inhalers put him at high risk of a severe lung infection that can lead to death,” it had stated and added that he needed to be at a distance from others in living quarters so that he is not at risk to catch infections that can lead to death.
Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves appearing for the enforcement directorate (ED) opposed the plea and argued that the investigation was still at an initial stage, as Kapoor was arrested only last month, and that the medical treatment and his health can be looked after by the jail doctors.
ED’s case against Kapoor is that he sanctioned loans to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) in exchange for kickbacks. These loans later turned into non-performing assets. In exchange, DHFL also gave a ‘loan’ of Rs 600 crore to an entity connected with Kapoor’s children.
