MP High Court grants bail in ED case linked to ex-transport constable Saurabh Sharma

The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur on 5 November 2026 granted bail, on the ground of parity, to Chetan Singh Gaur, a private co-accused and director of M/s Aviral Building Constructions Private Limited, and another applicant, in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) money-laundering case linked to Saurabh Sharma, a retired constable of the Transport Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh. The court said the Supreme Court had already granted bail to a co-accused.

What Happened

According to the order, the case rests on an FIR registered on 19 December 2024 by the Special Police Establishment of the Lokayukta Organisation, Bhopal, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which alleges that Saurabh Sharma amassed assets disproportionate to his income. The ED registered its money-laundering case on 21 December 2024. It alleges, as the order records, that properties acquired in the names of his family members, associates and companies are proceeds of crime, and that the company was used to launder them.

The prosecution complaint, as described in the order, alleges that a car registered in the applicant's name was found with cash and gold jewellery valued at about Rs 52 crore, seized by the Income Tax Department; the applicant told the ED he had no knowledge of it. He has been in custody since 10 February 2025, apart from a spell of temporary bail, and charges were framed on 10 April 2026.

His counsel argued that the High Court granted bail to Saurabh Sharma on 31 July 2026 and the Supreme Court granted bail on 1 September 2026 to Sharad Jaiswal, an accused and co-director of the same company, whose role was similar. The ED opposed bail, saying parity cannot be applied mechanically.

The court allowed bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each with two sureties, on condition that the applicants attend every date of the trial.

What It Means

Bail does not decide the charges. The trial continues before the Special Court (PMLA), Bhopal, and the order lapses if bail conditions are breached. These are allegations, not findings of guilt; the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and due process continues.

Source: High Court judgment