The Jharkhand High Court on Friday stepped in to give one final window to a man facing enforcement proceedings, after a tangle over timelines and bail bonds brought his trial to a standstill. Hearing a criminal miscellaneous petition, the court modified its earlier order and fixed a fresh date for surrender, making it clear that patience would not extend beyond this point. The matter was heard by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad at the Ranchi bench.
Background
The case involves Sourav Bardhan, who had earlier been granted anticipatory bail by the High Court in February this year. That order required him to surrender before the trial court within two weeks so that his bail bonds could be formally accepted, in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling in.
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According to Bardhan, when he tried to comply, things did not move as expected. In a supplementary affidavit filed before the High Court, he withdrew an earlier statement and clarified that by the time he approached the lower court, the two-week period had already expired. Realising this lapse, he moved the present petition seeking an extension of time.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), however, was far from convinced. Its counsel pointed out that the trial had effectively been put on hold because of Bardhan’s non-appearance. The ED also flagged that although the present petition was filed in March, no serious attempt was made to get it heard urgently.
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Court’s Observations
Justice Prasad acknowledged that the February order clearly mentioned a two-week surrender period from the date of receipt. The court noted Bardhan’s explanation that he was unaware of the exact time-frame, though this claim did not entirely sit well with the record.
At the same time, the bench took note of the Supreme Court’s guidance in Tarsem Lal, which emphasises procedural fairness even in money laundering cases. “Considering the law laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court… one opportunity is to be given to the petitioner to surrender,” the judge observed, balancing strict enforcement with a chance to rectify the lapse.
The court also did not ignore the ED’s concern. It recorded that the conduct of the petitioner had delayed the trial and warned that further default would invite strong action.
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Decision
Modifying its earlier order dated 7 February 2025, the High Court directed Sourav Bardhan to surrender on 22 December 2025 before the competent court and file the necessary application for consideration of his bail bonds.
The bench made its position unambiguous: if Bardhan fails to surrender on the given date, the trial court will be free to take “all possible measures” to secure his presence. With this caution, the criminal miscellaneous petition was disposed of.
Case Title: Sourav Bardhan vs Union of India (through Directorate of Enforcement)
Case No.: Cr.M.P. No. 939 of 2025
Case Type: Criminal Miscellaneous Petition (Modification/Extension of Surrender Time in ED Case)
Decision Date: 20 December 2025
