SC Denies Interim Relief to Ex-Amtek Chief Arvind Dham in ₹2,700 Cr Money Laundering Case

Updated on 2025-06-17T15:25:12+05:30

SC Denies Interim Relief to Ex-Amtek Chief Arvind Dham in ₹2,700 Cr Money Laundering Case

SC Denies Interim Relief to Ex-Amtek Chief Arvind Dham in ₹2,700 Cr Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking interim bail for former Amtek Group chairman Arvind Dham in connection with a ₹2,700 crore bank loan fraud and money laundering case. A vacation bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Prasanna B Varale strongly criticised Dham’s attempt to revive a previously dismissed plea during the court's vacation period. The bench noted that a similar special leave petition had already been rejected by a three-judge bench in April, which had also ordered Dham’s surrender the following day.

Dham’s counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, informed the court that his client had already spent 11 months in judicial custody and was still awaiting a decision on his regular bail petition, which has been pending before the Delhi High Court since February 2025. However, the apex court remained unconvinced and questioned the motive behind approaching the vacation bench for a matter that had already been decided. After facing stern remarks from the bench, Dham’s legal team withdrew the petition. Earlier, Dham had been granted interim bail on medical grounds by the Delhi High Court, which expired on April 7.

In parallel, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has ramped up its investigation into the case by attaching additional assets worth over ₹550 crore linked to the Amtek Group and its associated companies. These include Amtek Auto Ltd, ARG Ltd, ACIL Ltd, Metalyst Forging Ltd, and Castex Technologies Ltd. The ED began its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in February 2024 on Supreme Court orders. Dham was arrested in July 2024 and a chargesheet was filed in September. With total attached properties now crossing ₹5,000 crore, the investigation into fund diversion and fraudulent loans continues to make headlines in one of India’s largest corporate fraud cases.