C O M M O N J U D G M E N T

PRELUDE

A. This common judgment must commence taking it on record a deeply disturbing prelude. In the course of arguments on these bail applications, which continued marathon on day to day basis, a series of articles were published in the front page of Indian Express on four consecutive days. Those articles were not confined to reportage of the offences in connection whereof these bail applications were filed. Those articles, rather transgressed all permissible bounds by purporting to anticipate and answer queries which were raised by this court to the counsel for the Directorate of Enforcement (hereinafter referred to as “ED”). More egregiously, those articles laid bare the WhatsApp chats allegedly exchanged between the accused/applicants inter se, without the slightest attempt at redaction or anonymisation.

B. Keeping in mind the stage at which those articles were published, contents whereof, more or less answering the questions put by the court to learned counsel for ED, coupled with the fact that the FIR of the alleged predicate offence was registered way back in the month of March 2024 and all accused/applicants have already been granted bail