Supreme Court Dismisses Leena Paulose’s Petition Challenging Delhi High Court’s Bail Adjournment

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Leena Paulose, wife of alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision to adjourn her bail plea in a ₹200-crore extortion case. The apex court’s vacation bench, comprising Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and Augustine George Masih, upheld the High Court’s order from May 20, which had deferred Paulose’s bail appeal hearing to July.

Paulose’s plea before the Supreme Court argued against the delay in hearing her bail application, highlighting her extended period of incarceration—two years and eight months. However, the bench remarked that it was not within their purview to expedite proceedings or schedule matters before the High Court, underscoring the procedural autonomy of lower courts in such matters.

The case stems from allegations that Sukesh Chandrashekhar and Leena Paulose were involved in an elaborate scheme to defraud and extort funds through an organized crime syndicate since 2013. Both individuals were arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2021 and have remained in judicial custody since. The dismissal of Paulose’s SLP by the Supreme Court signifies a continuation of legal proceedings as scheduled by the Delhi High Court, reinforcing adherence to established judicial processes in addressing complex criminal cases.

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