Religare Finvest Case : SC Orders Status Quo On Release Of Shivinder Mohan Singh In ED's Challenge

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered status quo on the release of former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh in a challenge made by the Enforcement Directorate against the order of Delhi High Court granting him bail.

"Until further orders, status quo with respect to release from jail be maintained and impugned Judgment not to be treated as a precedent for any other case", ordered a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra, issuing notice on ED's petition.

On July 23, the Delhi High Court had granted him bail in the money laundering case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Limited. A bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani at the HC had granted him bail, after noting that ED had completed investigation in the matter and chargehseet had been filed in January.

The HC had observed that an accused cannot be kept in custody "only on a hunch or a presumption that he will prejudice or impede trial; or to send any message to the society. If anything, the only message that goes-out to the society by keeping an accused in prison before finding him guilty, is that our system works only on impressions and conjectures and can keep an accused in custody even on presumption of guilt".

The bench  had directed the authorities to release Singh on bail on his furnishing a personal bond of ₹1 crore and two sureties of ₹25 lacs each

ED had filed a chargesheet in January against Shivinder Singh and his brother Malvinder Singh(also a former promoter Fortis), and also former CMD of Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) Sunil Godhwani for offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

They were arrested in October 2018, for allegedly causing loss worth ₹2,397 crore to Religare Finvest Limited.  The brothers were promoters of Religare Enterprises and hospital operator Fortis Healthcare till February 2018. 

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