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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 06-10-2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE N.RAMESH CNR: {HCMA012232642026}

Ala Alagappan S/o.C.Alagappan, No.F2, Omm Builders, No.133, Gandhi Road, Velacherry, Chennai-42 ..Petitioner(s)

Vs The Additional Director Directorate of Enforcement, Chennai zonal Officer-I, No.2, 5th and 6th Floor, BSNL Administrative Building, Kush Kumar Road, Nungambakkam Chennai-600 034.

ECIR No.CEZO-1/14/2025.

..Respondent(s)

PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, To enlarge the petitioner on Bail in connection with ECIR No.CEZO-1/14/2025 pending investigation on the file of respondent police For Petitioner(s): Mr.T. Mohan Sr.Counsel for M/s.G.Uma Maheswari For Respondent(s): MR.P.Sidharthan, Spl. P.P. FOR E.D.,

ORDER

This is a petition for bail in a case under the Prevention of Money-

Laundering Act, 2002, filed under Section 483 of the BNSS read with Section 45 of the Act. The petitioner, Ala Alagappan, described by the Directorate as Alagappan Alagappan @ Siva, is the third accused in ECIR No.CEZO-I/14/2025 dated 31.03.2025 on the file of the Directorate of Enforcement, Chennai Zonal Office-I. He is accused of the offence of money-

laundering under Section 3 of the Act, punishable under Section 4.

2. The scheduled offence arises from Crime No.232 of 2023 of the Central Crime Branch-I, Chennai, registered on 29.09.2023 under Sections 409, 420, 506(1), 120B and 34 IPC. The final report was filed on 21.03.2025 against ten accused and has been taken on file as C.C.No.996 of 2025 by the learned Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore. The first accused, the petitioner's father, held powers of attorney from the de facto complainant to deal with her properties. He is said to have misused them, to have diverted her funds into the accounts of himself and his family, and to have had his wife, the second accused, entered as co-purchaser of a property at Neelankarai paid for by the complainant. Other first information reports by the same complainant, including Crime No.17 of 2023 of the District Crime Branch, Kancheepuram, and Crime No.7 of 2024 of the District Crime Branch, Ramanathapuram, make allied allegations.

Against the petitioner himself, the grounds of arrest and the reasons to believe attribute four things. First, a credit of Rs.4,50,000/- into his KVB account on 23.03.2020 from A.N. Builders, being part of the Rs.50,00,000/- which the complainant had placed with A.N. Builders at the first accused's request and which A.N. Builders repaid, at the first accused's instance, into the accounts of the first accused and his family. Secondly, a flat at Prakasam Flats, T.Nagar, purchased in his name under Document No.2862 of 2016 dated 25.11.2016 for Rs.32,75,100/-, paid by a demand draft of Rs.32,75,000/- taken by the first accused on 24.11.2016 from his KVB account, into which the complainant had transferred Rs.49,00,000/- on 09.11.2015. Thirdly, 2.36 acres of agricultural land at Mela Ramanathi Village, conveyed to him by the complainant under Document No.179 of 2021 dated 10.02.2021 for a stated consideration of Rs.2,24,000/-, which he says he paid in cash and which she says she never received. Fourthly, a transfer of Rs.52,00,000/- on 28.09.2020 from the first accused's KVB account to M/s IVAP Apps, a concern managed by him.

3. The petitioner was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on

25.08.2026. He was in the custody of the Directorate for two days from 08.09.2026 to 10.09.2026. He is in judicial custody since then. Investigation is pending, and no complaint under Section 45 of the Act is shown to have been filed. By its order of 10.09.2026, First and second accused were released on bail by the Special Court the under the first proviso to Section 45(1). The fourth accused, the petitioner's wife, was arrested and produced along with the others on 25.08.2026, but was not remanded.

4. The petitioner claims be