Kolkata, Sept. 9 -- The Calcutta High Court has granted bail to a man accused of impersonating an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer and allegedly extorting Rs 21.30 crore, citing his prolonged incarceration and the pending investigation into the predicate offences.
Justice Jay Sengupta, however, noted that the allegations against Sk. Jinnar Ali were "far too serious" and that he had not overcome the restrictions under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court said prolonged custody could, in appropriate cases, outweigh the rigours of the provision.
The case originated from a June 2025 FIR at Bidhannagar South police station following a complaint by Tapan Kumar Poi. The ED alleged that Ali threatened Poi with raids, property seizure and arrest while posing as an agency officer, and received Rs 21.30 crore in cash between August 2023 and June 2024.
Searches allegedly recovered fake ED identity cards, visiting cards, rubber stamps and letterheads. The agency also alleged that Ali operated websites resembling government portals and projected himself as chairman of an anti-trafficking body.
The court noted that Ali had spent more than a year in custody and had secured bail in the predicate case, while its investigation remained incomplete.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.