Supreme Court Refrains from Directing Arrest of Anil Ambani in Alleged Bank Fraud Case

The Supreme Court on Friday said it has always been 'extremely shy' to direct arrest, even as petitioners asked why agencies have so far not arrested Anil Ambani in an alleged financial fraud case. The court said arrest must be the last resort, and not the first option.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has lodged nine regular cases against Reliance ADAG entities, led by Anil Ambani, of which seven are under investigation while chargesheets were filed in the remaining two.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that 31 look-out circulars were issued and over 224 witnesses, including bank officials, were examined. He said searches were conducted at the premises of the ADAG promoters and directors, and 3,960 documents had been collected.

The court, which is monitoring the investigation, refrained from hearing pleas made by Anil Ambani's side and listed the case for July. The CBI is expected to file chargesheets on a timeline through the year, starting in the next three weeks, and few more arrests are expected in the coming days as more evidence surfaces.