KOCHI: The Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday granted bail to Campus Front of India (CFI) national secretary Rauf Sherif in a setback to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which is probing a money laundering case against him.
However, Rauf is not likely to execute the bail fearing arrest by Uttar Pradesh police in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against Malayali journalist Siddique Kappan and three others for allegedly attempting to disturbing communal and social harmony after the Hathras gang-rape incident.
The court permitted bail directing to execute a bond of Rs five lakh and two solvent sureties. The court also directed him to surrender his passport and appear before the investigation officer whenever his presence is required. Rauf, a native of Anchal in Kollam, was arrested in December 2020 at Thiruvananthapuram airport while he was attempting to board a flight to Abu Dhabi. ED alleged that he along with PFI and CFI activists collected funds of more than Rs 1 crore which was used to fund the anti-CAA protest and Delhi riots.
When the bail petition was under consideration at the court in Kochi, ED filed the charge sheet of the case against Rauf, Siddique and three others at the Special Court for PMLA cases in Lucknow which accepted it recently. ED sources said that they would challenge the decision of the court in Kochi at a higher court. "As the charge sheet is filed at Lucknow court which also took cognizance of it, the court in Kochi cannot grant bail to the accused at this stage. We will challenge it in the High Court soon," an ED official said.
On the other hand, people close to Rauf said that they won't be executing the bail soon. "We have challenged the UP police case at the High Court in UP. If released, UP police can record his arrest and take him to Mathura. We will wait for some more days to execute the bail," said a person close to Rauf.
Meanwhile, the Special Court in Kochi also denied permission to the ED to transfer the custody of Rauf to the Special Court in Lucknow.