PRABIR PURKAYASTHA vs DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT

Judgment text excerpt

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Pronounced on: 23rd July, 2025 + BAIL APPLN. 2173/2021, CRL.M.(BAIL) 861/2021 PRABIR PURKAYASTHA S/o Lt. A.K. De Purkayastha, Aged about 71 years R/o D-132, 2nd Floor, Saket, New Delhi-110017 Email: [email protected] Mob: +91-98111424462 ….Petitioner Through: Mr. Kapil Sibal, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Dayan Krishnan Sr. Advocate with Mr. Arshdeep Singh Khurana, Mr. Harsh Srivastava, Mr. Sidak Singh Anand, Mr. Shreedhar Kale, Mr. Nikhil Pawar and Mr. Peeyush Bhatia, Advocates. versus DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT 10-A, Jamnagar House, Akbar Road, New Delhi-110011 Through its Standing Counsel Email: [email protected] Mob: +91-9811191920 …..Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, Ld. ASG, Mr. Zoheb Hossain, Spl. Counsel, Mr. Vivek Gurnani, Panel Counsel with Mr. Kanishk Maurya, Mr. Harik Sabharwal, Mr. Pranjal Tripathi, Mr. Kunal Kochar and Mr. Siddharth Kumar, Advocates and Mr. Mohit Godara, ED(I.O). ACP Keshav Mathur, Insp. Sanjay Singh EOW, Mandir Marg. Signature Not Verified Signed By:RITA BAIL APPLN. 2173/2021 Page 1 of 12 SHARMA Signing Date:23.07.2025 20:56:53 CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE NEENA BANSAL KRISHNA J U D G M E N T NEENA BANSAL KRISHNA, J. 1. Bail Application under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as „Cr.P.C’) has been filed on behalf of the Applicant, Prabir Purkayastha seeking Anticipatory Bail in ECIR bearing ECIR/14/HIU/2020 dated 02.09.2020 under Section 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as „ECIR‟). 2. The Applicant submits that he is a respectable and law-abiding citizen of India having deep roots in the Society and is residing with his Partner. He is a reputed journalist and is also a Director of M/s PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd., a