JUDGMENT :

SATRUGHANA PUJAHARI, J.

1. Being apprehensive of his arrest by the C.B.I. in connection with PMLA Case No. 148 of 2019 on the file of the Special Court under the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as the “PMLA Act”) Bhubaneswar registered pursuant to an order of commitment passed in R.C. Case No. 31(S) of 2014-Kol. under Section 44(1)(c) of the PMLA Act, by the learned Special C.J.M. (CBI), Bhubaneswar, the petitioner has filed the present application under Section 438 of Cr.P.C. seeking pre-arrest bail.

2. Heard Shri Debasish Panda, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, Shri Sarthak Nayak, learned counsel appearing for the Republic of India and Shri Gopal Agarwal, learned counsel appearing for the Enforcement Directorate.

3. For the purpose at hand, a brief reference may be made to the background facts as follows:-

Ponzi Companies, many in number, got flourished in the Eastern States of India, basically in Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Bihar, which instigated public through different schemes, to deposit/invest money, with false assurance of impressive returns. Being allured by such lucrative assurance, lacs of gullible deposit