Conclude probe against ex-Fortis Healthcare promoter by Dec 15: SC to cops

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Delhi Police to conclude a probe by December 15 in a case against former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh who along with others is accused of misappropriating about Rs 2,400 crore of Religare Finvest Ltd funds.

A Bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli asked the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police to conclude the investigation by December 15 and refused to grant more time.

Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj, appearing for Delhi Police, told the apex court that the probe is at an advanced stage and requested time by the end of this month to complete the probe.

The Bench declined the request of Delhi police saying, "One thing you have to remember, you should not take sides. You need to carry out a fair investigation. We are not bothered by who has taken the money. In criminal offences, investigating agencies have to be neutral. That's what we want. We are not going to give much time to complete."

The apex court now posted the matter for hearing on December 15.

The apex court was hearing a plea of Singh who had challenged in the June 14 order of the Delhi High Court which cancelled his bail granted by the trial court in a money laundering case.

Earlier, the top court had asked the Delhi police about how much time it will take to complete the investigation and it cannot be an "unending story".

Justice Suresh Kait of the High Court had said that the Singh's detention was necessary to unearth the "conspiracy hatched by him and trace the siphoned off money".

The High Court order had come on the plea of RFL challenging the March 3 order of the trial court granting bail to Singh in the case registered against him by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

In March 2019, the EOW of Delhi Police registered an FIR after it received a complaint from RFL's Manpreet Suri against Singh, former CMD of Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) Sunil Godhwani and former CEO of RFL Kavi Arora and others, alleging that loans were taken by them while managing the firm but the money was invested in other companies.

RFL's authorised representative Suri alleged that these accused put RFL in poor financial condition by disbursing loans to entities having no financial standings and willfully defaulted on repayments causing a loss of Rs 2,397 crore to RFL, as per EOW.