India, Aug. 22 -- The Delhi High Court has ruled that protection granted to an accused in a predicate offence does not automatically extend to separate proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Justice Madhu Jain made the observation while denying anticipatory bail to businessman Ram Singh of Babaji Finance Group in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate rejecting his argument that his fear of arrest should be weighed against protection previously granted to him by the Supreme Court in the underlying FIR.

"The protection granted in the predicate offence operates in the context of the said FIR and cannot by itself be construed as extending to the distinct and independent proceedings under the PMLA" t...