The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Congress leader and former Punjab Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in connection with a money laundering case.

A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Vinod Chandran allowed Dharamsot’s plea, offering relief more than a year after he was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Dharamsot was initially booked by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in 2022 on bribery charges. Following this, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which led to his arrest on January 15, 2024.

In May 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted Dharamsot interim bail to facilitate his participation in the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign. However, his request for regular bail was rejected by the High Court in September 2024.

In its order, the High Court had labelled Dharamsot as the alleged kingpin of the "Forest Scam" and noted that he had accumulated disproportionate assets worth over ₹6.39 crore. The Court remarked that these assets were acquired as proceeds of crime and laundered to appear legitimate.

Challenging the High Court’s decision, Dharamsot approached the Supreme Court, which has now allowed his bail.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared on behalf of Dharamsot, along with advocates Aman Panwar and Sumer Boparai.

Case Title: Sadhu Singh Dharamsot v. Directorate of Enforcement