J Gopikrishnan

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J Gopikrishnan | November 28, 2025 In a curious development, agreeing to the Central Government, the Supreme Court has allowed fugitive Sandesara brothers and their Sterling Group to go scot-free from all criminal cases filed by CBI, ED and Income Tax related to bank loan frauds by paying Rs5,100 crore, which is only 1/3 of the dues. The apex court bench comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi on November 19 allowed the fugitive Chetan-Nitish Sandesara brothers’ firms to deposit the money in the Registry by December 17 as One-Time-Settlement (OTS) to avoid all cases, including criminal cases registered by various probe agencies. Flashback: There is an interesting timeline and mysterious developments in this case. Vadodara-based Sandesara brothers’ firm, Sterling Biotech and Sterling Oil and Energy were close associates of Congress heavyweight Ahmed Patel was engaged in the Pharmaceutical and Oil business and was having heydays during the Congress regime till 2014. The Income Tax officers who raided their Mumbai office in 2010 were transferred and harassed by the Government. In 2017, CBI caught the powerful firm and registered cases for multi-bank loan fraud, ranging to Rs16,000 crore. The Enforcement Directorate also filed cases and attached Rs 9,800 crore worth of assets and the Income Tax also filed cases. Ahmed Patel’s son-in-law, Irfan Siddiqui, was also chargesheeted and the case clearly mentioned his role and Patel’s son Faizal’s role in bribing Income Tax officers. CBI’s then Special Director Rakesh Asthana’s son was also an employee in Sandesara Group, and his daughter’s wedding expenses were also met by the fugitive Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, according to the Sandesara Diaries produced by noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan. These diaries, also produced as records by the agencies, show the hawala/bribe payments by the Sandesara Group promoters and their firms to many officials and politicians in Gujarat, Mumbai and Delhi from 2003. It is a well-known thing that the 2017-2018 tussle inside CBI started when the Director Alok Verma ordered for probe against his deputy Rakesh Asthana’s links with Sandesara brothers, who were having proximity with Ahmed Patel. When the cases got heated in 2017, Nitin and Chetan, along with their family, escaped from India using their illegal Albanian passport and parked in Nigeria. In September 2020, when the entire country was locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sandesara’s Chartered Accountants Hemant S Hati and Chetan Jayantilal approached the Supreme Court with the current curious petition seeking One-Time-Settlement (OTS), seeking cancellation of all criminal cases from CBI, ED and Income Tax, SFIO and cases in Tribunals and under Black Money Act also. Even cases at Magistrate Courts for bribing officials, using illegal Albanian passports also sought for cancellation when OTS is allowed. They claimed already paid around Rs. 2,000 crore to banks. Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the Chartered Accountants of the fugitive Sandesara brothers. How CAs can file a petition on behalf of fugitive clients is another question. Central Government agrees for OTS The Central Government, represented by top Law officer Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, filed a sealed cover on this curious OTS demanding petition filed by the fugitive brothers’ Chartered Accountants. On November 18, the Supreme Court agreed to the Government’s suggestion of accepting Rs 5,100 crore as OTS and cancellation of all cases, including criminal cases. “The entire amount of Rs. 5100 crores to get rid of all proceedings and to put a quietus to the litigation of criminal cases with respect to CBI, ED, attachments under PMLA, Fugitive Act, SFIO, black money and Income Tax,” said the Judges, showing benevolence to the curious petition. The court observed, “If the petitioners are ready to deposit the amount as settled in OTS and public money comes back to lender banks, the continuation of the criminal proceedings would not serve any useful purpose.” Now, as per the Order, Sandesara brothers and Sterling Group of companies are scot-free from all cases by paying Rs. 5,100 crores, which is only 1/3 of the dues to the Banks, by December 17. And ED’s attachment of Rs. 9,800 crore worth properties will be back to the fugitive Sandesara brothers and Sterling Group. Here, the bigger question is how the Supreme Court used its powers under Article 142 to pass such a curious Order, giving escape from criminal cases by paying only 1/3of the bank loan frauds. Another question is why the Central Government agreed to meagre OTS and closing all the criminal cases of the fugitives from 2017, who were involved in bribery, corruption, smuggling, bank frauds and huge loss to the exchequer? The billion-dollar question is why such benevolence is given to the fugitives by the Central Government and the Supreme Court agreeing to it.

The Great Sandesara OTS Escape

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J Gopikrishnan | November 28, 2025 In a curious development, agreeing to the Central Government, the Supreme Court has allowed fugitive Sandesara brothers and their Sterling Group to go scot-free from all criminal cases filed by CBI, ED and Income Tax related to bank loan frauds by paying Rs5,100 crore, which is only 1/3 of…

Untold story of BSNL’s 15-year delay in 4G installation

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J Gopikrishnan / New Delhi September 30, 2025 On Saturday (September 27), after 15 years of delay, the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers launched a nationwide implementation of 4G network of BSNL. What caused such a huge delay in the implementation of 4G in state-owned BSNL, while three years ago, private networks launched 5G? It…

CGHS portal faces glitches, delaying medical supply

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JGopikrishnan | New Delhi June 16, 2025   The Central Government Health Scheme’s (CGHS) new portal catering to more than three crore beneficiaries is facing serious troubles with technical glitches and server problems, affecting medical supply delay of more than 30 days for the past two months. The problems started when CGHS under Health Ministry…

Hope Supreme Court will bring justice in Bihar SIR case

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J Gopikrishnan  Aug 17, 2025 The Supreme Court has risen to the occasion by ordering the Election Commission of India (ECI) to give details of 65 lakh deleted voters of Bihar and reasons for the cancellation, and has opened avenues for appeal. The Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi rightly said,…

National Health authority skips ayurveda in Ayushman Bharat

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J Gopikrishnan New Delhi | May 19, 2025 In a classic case of how the system works, ayurveda is yet to be included Modi Government’s flagship project Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Ironically, AB-PMJAY focuses on traditional medicinal practise. The project, launched in September 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was meant to…