Delhi High Court Grants Bail to Naga Insurgent Masasasong Ao in Money Laundering Case
- The Delhi High Court granted bail on September 24, 2026, to alleged Naga insurgent Masasasong Ao in a money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, according to...
- The Enforcement Directorate lodged the money laundering case in 2021 following the 2019 arrest of Alemla Jamir, described in court documents as a self-styled cabinet minister of the...
- Advocate Shubhi Shrivastav, representing Ao, argued before the High Court that her client had spent three-and-a-half years in custody, which accounts for half of the maximum sentence prescribed...
The Delhi High Court granted bail on September 24, 2026, to alleged Naga insurgent Masasasong Ao in a money laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, according to court proceedings reported by PTI and other outlets. Justice Sanjeev Narula pronounced the order, setting bail on a surety bond and a bond of ₹50,000, after noting that the petitioner had been in custody for over three years.
Money Laundering Charges and Arrest Background
The Enforcement Directorate lodged the money laundering case in 2021 following the 2019 arrest of Alemla Jamir, described in court documents as a self-styled cabinet minister of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM), a banned separatist organization. Authorities intercepted Jamir at the Delhi airport on December 17, 2019, while traveling to Dimapur with ₹72 lakh in cash. Investigators later arrested Masasasong Ao under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2022. Separate from the financial probe, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in December 2019 after taking over the initial FIR. The NIA accused Ao and other members of the insurgent group of helping Jamir operate an extortion racket, channel terror funds, and commit disruptive acts. The NIA arrested Ao in February 2020, and he remained in custody in connection with that separate national security case.
Legal Arguments and Court Proceedings
Advocate Shubhi Shrivastav, representing Ao, argued before the High Court that her client had spent three-and-a-half years in custody, which accounts for half of the maximum sentence prescribed for money laundering offenses. The defense also pointed out that the trial court had previously granted bail to co-accused Alemla Jamir on similar grounds, and that another individual named in the matter was charge-sheeted without being arrested. The defense submission further noted that Ao is 49 years old with parents who are both 90 years old, residing in a small village in Nagaland and unable to travel to Delhi to visit him. The trial court had previously rejected Ao’s bail application in the money laundering case on March 16, 2026. Following subsequent hearings, including a July 9 notice where the High Court sought a status report and jail nominal roll, Justice Narula issued the bail order. A detailed copy of the verdict was scheduled to be uploaded later on September 24, 2026.
