I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel granted bail day after West Bengal elections
A Delhi court granted bail to I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel a day after the West Bengal assembly elections concluded, in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal coal mining and transportation in the state. The court noted that the Enforcement Directorate did not oppose his bail, allowing relief under Section 45 of the PMLA. Chandel had previously been denied interim bail due to lack of evidence showing exceptional humanitarian grounds, despite citing his mother's deteriorating health.
- ▪Vinesh Chandel, director of political consultancy firm I-PAC, was granted bail by a Delhi court on April 30, 2026, a day after the West Bengal assembly elections ended.
- ▪The Enforcement Directorate did not oppose Chandel's bail application, which led the court to rule that the stringent bail conditions under Section 45 of the PMLA did not apply.
- ▪Chandel was arrested in April 2026 by the ED in connection with a money laundering probe involving alleged illegal coal mining and transportation in West Bengal.
- ▪The ED alleged that I-PAC received approximately ₹20 crore in proceeds of crime from the coal racket through hawala channels.
- ▪Chandel's interim bail plea on humanitarian grounds—citing his 74-year-old mother's dementia—was rejected earlier as the court found no evidence of immediate life-threatening conditions or unmet medical needs.
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I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel granted bail day after West Bengal electionsThe bail comes just two days after Vinesh Chandel was denied interim bail on Tuesday, April 28.Updated on: Apr 30, 2026 1:30 PM ISTBy HT News DeskShare viaCopy link Just a day after the West Bengal assembly elections concluded, a Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel in a money laundering case.While granting him bail, the Delhi court noted that the Enforcement Directorate has not opposed the I-PAC director's bail.
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