IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI B.A. No. 3029 of 2024 ---- Pradeep Ram … … Petitioner Versus Union of India through Directorate of Enforcement … … Opp. Party ------- CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SUJIT NARAYAN PRASAD ------ For the Petitioner : Mr. Jitendra S. Singh, Advocate For the Opp. Party : Mr. Amit Kumar Das, Advocate Mr. Saurav Kumar, Advocate -------- Order No. 12 : Dated 17th January, 2025 1. The instant application has been filed under Section 439 read with Section 440 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 praying for grant of bail in ECIR Case No.01 of 2021 arising out of ECIR/RNSZO/02/2016 dated 15.09.2016 for the offences under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, pending in the court of learned Special Judge, PML Act, Ranchi. 2. Mr. Jitendra S. Singh, learned counsel for the petitioner on the last occasion has argued that the petitioner is languishing in judicial custody since 24.03.2021 and charges have been framed on 29.09.2021 but still the trial has not been concluded. 3. Upon this, Mr. Amit Kumar Das, learned counsel for the respondent-ED has taken time to come with the status of the trial in connection with ECIR No. 01 of 2021. 4. Today, Mr. Amit Kumar Das, learned counsel for the respondent-ED has come out with communication as contained in personal e-mail of Mr. Das, stating that only eight witnesses are left for examination which shall be examined. 5. He has further submitted, on instruction, that preferably within a period of two months all the left over witnesses which are eight in number will be examined. 6. In view thereof, Mr. Das has further submitted that since the trial itself is at the fag end and as such submission has been made that at this stage the prayer for regular bail of the present petitioner may not be allowed. 7. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material available on record as also the communication as contained in the e-main received by Mr. Das, learned counsel for the respondent-ED. 8. It is evident from the communication received by Mr. Das, learned counsel for the respondent-ED that after pruning of certain witnesses only 8 prosecution witnesses are left for examination. For ready reference, the content of the said e-mail is quoted as under: “In respect of desired information in respect of development of trial in ECIR/RNSXO/02/2016 total 21 Prosecution Witnesses are examined out of 34 and after pruning of certain witnesses only 8 Prosecution Witnesses are left for examination.” 9. This Court considering the fact that only 8 [eight] witnesses are left for examination and the trial is at the fag end and further submission has been made by learned counsel for the respondent-ED that endeavours will be taken to examine the witnesses within a period of two months, this Court is of the view that no positive direction for grant of regular bail is required to be passed. 10. Accordingly, the instant bail application is dismissed. 11. Let the said communication, as contained in the e-mail, be kept on record. (Sujit Narayan Prasad, J.) Alankar/