By Diksha-
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Special Sessions Court to expedite the bail hearing of accused Vipul Chitalia in the Rs.13570 Crores PNB fraud case.
The Hon’ble Judge directed that the CBI case shall fall back in the Special Sessions Judge and shall be presided over by the Judge who heard the Prevention of Money Laundering Act case and the CBI case against him.
He further stated that the hearing must be concluded on or before December 12 this year.
The Counsel of Vijay Chitalia submitted that the accused has been lodged in the jail since the past 2 years and all of the other accused have been released on bail.
He further stated, “The fulcrum of the allegation against the present applicant in both CBI and ED case is same i.e the factum of the applicant being the authorized signatory of the three accused firms and the allegations are identical, hence when one court has enlarged the applicant on bail in relation to the same facts, there is no reason he is kept in continued custody in the other case”.
Chitalia- the Vice-President of the Gitanjali Group had been arrested in 2018 by the CBI as being the main protagonist behind the fraud and the aide in conspiracy with Mehul Choksi.