Overview

• The Supreme Court deprecated the trend of accused offering large sums for bail then reneging, calling it a ploy to play “ducks and drakes” with the judicial process.
• It set aside the Madras High Court’s May 8 bail order for Kundan Singh, who is charged with evading ₹13.7 crore in Goods and Services Tax.
• The court converted his conditional release into interim bail until the high court conducts a fresh merits hearing on the bail plea.
• Counsel for Kundan Singh had pledged to deposit ₹2.7 crore upfront and ₹50 lakh within ten days but later contested both the authority and onerous nature of the payment.
• The apex court urged expedited reconsideration on merits and warned it will scrutinize future bail applications to prevent similar circumvention.