Money Laundering Case: Lava MD Hari Om Rai Granted Interim Bail By Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has granted interim bail for three months to Hari Om Rai, the Managing Director of homegrown handset maker Lava International mobile company, in a money laundering case.

The court required Rai to provide a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.

Source : Lava

The Delhi High Court has granted interim bail for three months to Hari Om Rai, the Managing Director of homegrown handset maker Lava International mobile company, in a money laundering case pertaining to Chinese smartphone maker Vivo, the media has reported. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma provided relief to 57-year-old Rai due to his "life-threatening" heart disease, stating that he should be afforded the opportunity to receive treatment at the hospital of his preference, said a report by news agency PTI.

The court required Rai to provide a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh along with one surety of the same amount and to surrender immediately after the three-month period. Additionally, he was instructed not to leave the country or interfere with witnesses.

"Each passing moment in the face of cardiac distress is fraught with the peril of irreversible harm, and in case of any eventuality that may occur in applicant not getting proper and specialised treatment, this Court will have to bear the weight of regret,” the court said in the order, according to the report.

“This Court is inclined to grant interim bail to the present accused/applicant for a period of three (03) months,” Justice Sharma was quoted as saying.

Detained on October 9th last year, Rai applied for interim bail citing his history of heart-related problems and stating that his medical condition had significantly worsened during judicial custody. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) objected to the request, arguing that his condition did not justify granting interim bail on medical grounds.

To recall, in Ocrober 2023, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended four individuals linked to Vivo in connection with a money laundering case. Among those arrested were a Chinese national and Hari Om Rai, the Managing Director of Lava International. The ED contended that Rai was approached by Vivo to assist in establishing their business in India.

Additionally, it alleged that Rai was provided with an initial funding of Rs 3.17 crore to establish offices and residential accommodations for the Chinese national of Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd and its state distributors through Labquest Engineering Private Limited.