‘DHFL’s Wadhawan yet to pay Rs 24.10 lakh to police for protection during pvt hospital stay’

The court directed Wadhawan to deposit the outstanding amount, stating that it will hear his bail application only on production of a receipt of the payment.

Arrested in multiple cases, including the Yes Bank alleged fraud cases, Wadhawan has been in jail since 2020.

“The applicant Dheeraj Wadhawan (A10) shall first of all deposit Rs.24,10,069/ or whatever outstanding amount, with the police authority forthwith and produce its receipt only thereafter he will be permitted to argue his bail application,” the court said. A deputy commissioner of police (DCP) from Navi Mumbai appeared before the court last week and submitted that Rs 24,10,069 is the outstanding amount, pending payment from Wadhawan. He was allowed to undergo treatment at a private hospital by the special court and was directed to bear the expenses of the treatment and of the police personnel required to guard him while at the hospital.

It was submitted that the expenses towards the police protection totalled to Rs 49.10 lakh. The DCP told the court that Rs 25 lakh of the amount was paid while the remaining has been outstanding till date.

The court noted that Wadhawan and his brother and co-accused, Kapil Wadhawan, are currently in a jail in Delhi in another case. “Even then both of them filed bail applications by instructing their learned senior counsel. All this prima facie indicates that they are able to pay charges of police escort, yet they had not paid the same. Therefore, if they allowed to prosecute their applications without clearing the outstanding dues of police escort, that too when police authorities are knocking doors of the Court for the same, entertaining their applications…bail application, will amount an abuse of process of law,” special Judge M G Deshpande said in his order.

The court said that Wadhawan is not being prevented from proceeding with his bail application. “…but equally he cannot do so by keeping huge dues of the police authorities outstanding, which he had availed by way of an order of the Court,” the court said. It said that the submissions made by the DCP are “genuine”.

In February this year, the court received a complaint from Taloja jail, where Wadhawan was lodged, stating that he had been admitted to a private hospital since April 2021 allegedly to avoid jail. The court had then issued notices to authorities. In April this year, the Bombay High Court had permitted Wadhawan to undergo surgery at a private hospital.