Delhi court grants Sukesh Chandrashekar bail in AIADMK money laundering case, noting excessive detention and right to personal liberty under the Constitution
New Delhi: On April 7, 2026, a Delhi court granted bail to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar in a money laundering case connected to the 2017 AIADMK election symbol scam. Special Judge Vishal Gogne at Rouse Avenue Court ordered his release on a personal bond of ₹5 lakh along with one surety of the same amount.
This is the 27th case out of 31 in which Sukesh has been granted bail. However, he will not be released from jail yet because he is still in custody in other pending cases.
The Specific Case and What Happened
The case is based on allegations that Sukesh acted as a middleman for AIADMK leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran (from the Sasikala faction). Authorities have accused Sukesh Chandrasekhar of helping arrange a ₹50 crore bribe to an Election Commission of India official so that the faction could retain the party’s ‘two leaves’ symbol for the R.K. Nagar by-election.
The Enforcement Directorate filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on this offence. Sukesh was arrested in 2017. During the investigation, authorities recovered ₹1.30 crore in cash and two luxury cars — a BMW and a Mercedes — from him.
Why the Court Granted Bail
In his order, Judge Vishal Gogne said that Sukesh had already spent more than half of the maximum possible jail term under Section 4 of the PMLA. He also pointed out that the case proceedings — both the original offence and the PMLA case — had been on hold for several years.
Because of this delay, Sukesh ended up spending a long time in jail without trial, and the delay could continue further. The judge called this “excessive detention.”
The court also stressed the importance of personal freedom. Judge Gogne said that liberty is one of the most important values in the Constitution, and courts cannot talk about protecting liberty while allowing long detention just because the case involves special laws or economic offences.
He also clarified that even though Sukesh Chandrasekhar faces 31 cases, this does not take away his right to seek bail in this particular case if he meets the legal conditions.
Sukesh’s Overall Legal Situation
Sukesh Chandrasekhar has engaged in several major fraud, extortion, and money laundering cases since 2017. These include cases related to celebrity extortion, the Delhi excise policy issue, and other financial crimes.
As of April 7, 2026, he has now received bail in 27 out of 31 cases. Before this order, he had already secured bail in 26 cases.
Even after this relief, Sukesh will remain in judicial custody at Mandoli Jail because he has not yet received bail in the remaining cases.
This order comes after years of legal proceedings, during which Sukesh has repeatedly applied for bail in different courts. Earlier, he had also received bail in separate cases, including a 2015 fraud case from the Bombay High Court and another bribery case linked to the same AIADMK symbol issue.
What This Order Means
The Rouse Avenue Court limited its April 7, 2026 decision to the long period Sukesh Chandrasekhar spent in jail without trial in this specific Prevention of Money Laundering Act case and to the delay in court proceedings. It does not comment on whether he is guilty or innocent, and it does not clear him of the charges. He is still an accused in several ongoing cases.
With this bail, the court has once again applied the principle that authorities cannot take away a person’s freedom for an unlimited time—even in serious financial crime cases under laws like the Prevention of Money Laundering Act—especially when the accused did not cause the delay in trial.
Sukesh Chandrashekar remains one of the most high-profile undertrial prisoners in India. His legal battles have continued for nearly a decade across many courts. This latest development adds another step in his long series of bail orders — he has received relief in one more case, but he will continue to stay in jail for now.
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Hi! I’m Mansi Sharma, 22, a fearless journalist who turns lifestyle, health, and political trends into bold, unforgettable narratives. I don’t just report — I make every story sizzle, spark, and stick.