Akhya Pandey
The Supreme Court of India came down strongly on former Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker and his legal team for what it called a “blatant misstatement” regarding his medical status and refused to extend his interim bail. Chhoker is currently facing trial in a major money laundering case tied to a real estate scam.
A bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and R. Mahadevan were hearing an urgent plea seeking an extension of Chhoker’s interim bail, originally granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on medical grounds. The High Court had allowed temporary relief for him to undergo elbow surgery, with a clear direction to surrender by 5 pm on July 12. However, Chhoker’s counsel told the Court he was still admitted in the hospital; however, the claim turned out to be false.
“He was discharged on July 5. The documents make that clear,” Justice Bindal observed, adding, “We believed the word of a Senior Counsel. If they misstate facts, where does the system go?”
The Supreme Court refused to consider the plea any further, calling it a “drama being played” and held that there was no fresh material to justify an extension. The bench was also unimpressed when a new counsel appeared the next day and offered an apology, noting that the misstatement had already occurred and that it reflected poorly on the conduct of the legal team.
Background
Dharam Singh Chhoker, a former Congress MLA from Samalkha, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on May 4 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The case relates to a ₹1,500 crore real estate scam in which funds from over 1,500 homebuyers were allegedly siphoned off through shell companies and fraudulent transactions. Properties worth more than ₹44 crore have already been attached under Section 5 of the PMLA.
Before his arrest, Chhoker had been declared a proclaimed offender under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code. His arrest itself drew media attention, as he was caught in a luxury hotel in Delhi and briefly resisted being taken into custody.
Supreme Court’s Message
The Supreme Court made it clear that legal proceedings cannot be allowed to become a game of misleading submissions. It refused to record any further indulgence and stuck to the original High Court order -Chhoker must surrender by 5 pm on July 12, without fail.
The hearing stood as a reminder that even interim reliefs like medical bail are built on trust, and if that trust is compromised, courts won’t hesitate to take a firm stand.
Case Name: Dharam Singh Chhoker v. Directorate of Enforcement
Case Number: Special Leave to Appeal (Criminal) Nos. 9769–9770 of 2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal and Hon’ble Mr. Justice R. Mahadevan
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