On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Suraj Chavan, a Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged scam involving the distribution of 'khichdi' packets to migrant workers in Mumbai during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice Milind Jadhav, while approving Chavan's bail application, observed that he had been incarcerated for over a year and that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the near future. The court further emphasized that continuing Chavan's detention would violate his fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees a speedy trial and personal liberty.

Chavan, a key member of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January 2024. The case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

According to the ED, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had transferred Rs 8.64 crore to the bank account of Force One Multi Services for distributing khichdi packets to migrant workers stranded in the city during the COVID-19 lockdown. The ED alleges a scam amounting to Rs 3.64 crore, with Rs 1.25 crore diverted to Chavan's personal bank account and an additional Rs 10 lakh to his partnership firm, Fire Fighters Enterprises.

The central agency claims that Chavan thus obtained Rs 1.35 crore in "proceeds of crime," which he allegedly used to purchase property and invest in the dairy business.