Overview
- A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed that Balaji will appear before the ED deputy director only as and when required, with advance notice to be served.
- The court clarified that he may apply for exemption from daily attendance in the Special PMLA Court on specific hardship, and the trial court will decide such requests on merits.
- The Enforcement Directorate opposed easing the terms, citing the seriousness of the alleged offences and the risk of influencing witnesses.
- Senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued the investigation is complete and said Balaji has complied throughout, including 116 appearances before the ED since his September 2024 bail.
- All other bail safeguards from 2024 remain in force, including a Rs 25 lakh bond with two sureties, passport surrender, and a prohibition on contacting prosecution witnesses.