The Enforcement Directorate (ED) court on Thursday rejected the bail applications of former RTO constable Saurabh Sharma, his associate Sharad Jaiswal, and their company Aviral Fisheries. The decision was delivered by Special Judge Sachin Kumar Ghosh, following a hearing held on Wednesday in the presence of Saurabh's mother Uma Sharma and members of the ED legal team.
Advocate Deepesh Joshi appeared on behalf of Saurabh Sharma, while Rajneesh Bariya represented Sharad Jaiswal. The ED’s counsel, Vikram Singh, strongly opposed the bail pleas, citing the seriousness of the financial offenses under investigation. Joshi, however, argued that the ED’s claims were unsubstantiated and lacked concrete evidence.
The case revolves around a major seizure of cash and gold from an Innova vehicle found in a Bhopal forest, which the ED alleges is linked to Saurabh Sharma. Joshi refuted the claim, asserting that the vehicle is not registered in Saurabh’s name and that the connection is speculative. He further criticized the ED for alleging that Saurabh owns a villa worth Rs 150 crore in Dubai, stating the claim is based solely on a promotional brochure, with no documentary evidence to prove ownership or even the property's existence.
Joshi also highlighted that Saurabh had previously been granted bail by the Lokayukta, and argued that the ED’s pursuit lacked legal foundation.
Earlier, on April 9, the same court had granted bail to Saurabh’s mother Uma Sharma, wife Divya Sharma, brother-in-law Vinay Aswani, and Rohit Tiwari on a Rs 10 lakh bond.
