PMLA bail relief without Section 45 rigour, with liberty to surrender and seek expeditious regular bail.

A PMLA proceeding noted that, on the stated facts, the stringent bail conditions under Section 45 would not apply because the amount involved was said to be below one crore and the point was not disputed. The court therefore permitted the petitioner to surrender before the PMLA court within ten days, file a regular bail application, and obtain an expeditious decision on bail without the rigour of Section 45. The matter was disposed of on that limited basis, leaving the bail request to be considered by the competent court.

---

---

Issues: Whether the petition should be entertained on merits and whether the petitioner was entitled to liberty to surrender and seek regular bail without the rigour of Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 applying.

Analysis: The petition was not pursued on merits. The amount involved in the case was stated to be less than one crore, and the opposing side did not dispute that the stringent requirement under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 would not apply on the facts of the case. In that situation, the appropriate course was to permit the petitioner to surrender before the PMLA court and to move a regular bail application within a short time frame, with an expeditious decision on bail.

Conclusion: The petitioner was granted liberty to surrender before the concerned PMLA court within ten days and to apply for regular bail, which was directed to be considered expeditiously without applying the rigour of Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Final Conclusion: The proceeding was disposed of by granting a limited opportunity to seek bail before the competent court.

---