The Delhi High Court recently granted interim bail to Lavi Narula, an accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), on humanitarian grounds to take care of his seriously ill mother. Justice Tejas Karia passed the order on June 9, 2025 in bail application no. 1937/2025.
The applicant had sought interim bail for 45 days under Section 483 of the Indian Civil Protection Code (BNSS), 2023 and Section 45 of the PMLA. He said his mother, who is around 55 years of age, was suffering from spinal fracture and pain due to a fall from the stairs at a temple in Faridabad.
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Though the Sessions Court had earlier refused to grant interim bail and allowed custody parole for only six hours, the High Court found merit in granting limited interim relief.
"In these facts and circumstances and on humanitarian grounds, the applicant is granted interim bail for a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of his release," the court said.
The ED, while opposing the plea, argued that the mother's medical condition was not critical. They submitted that she had visited the hospital only once as an OPD patient and was prescribed a week's rest without the need for hospitalisation.
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"This shows that her medical condition is stable and there is no medical exigency/emergency which requires the physical presence of the applicant," the ED submitted.
However, the applicant's counsel argued that due to the absence of any of the family members as
- His sister stays in Australia and
- The mother is bed-ridden,
No further medical treatment can proceed without her assistance.
The court held that although illness of a family member is not a clear-cut ground under Section 45 of the PMLA, interim bail can still be granted on compassionate grounds. The bench imposed strict conditions during the interim bail period:
“The applicant shall not leave the NCT of Delhi… report to the police station, Crime Branch, Delhi between 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM daily… and surrender after 15 days.”
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The applicant was also directed not to tamper with evidence or contact any witness. A bond of ₹1,00,000/- with two sureties was made mandatory for his release.
The Court clarified “No observation made herein shall amount to an expression of opinion on the merits of the case… and is made only for the purpose of consideration of interim bail”
Case No.: BAIL APPLN. 1937/2025
Case Title: Lovee Narula v. ED
Appearance: Mr. Amit Chadha, Senior Advocate alongwith Mr. Rahul Vats, Ms. Neha Kumari, Mr. Rohit Singh, Mr. Saarthak Sethi & Mr. Harjas Singh, Advocates for Applicant; Mr. Arkaj Kumar, Standing Counsel with Mr. Aakarsh Mishra, Mr. Ishank Jha & Ms. Vaishnavi Bhargava, Advocates for State.
