New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS): A Delhi court has granted regular bail to Dev Inder Bhalla, an accused in a money laundering case linked to a UPA-era defence deal involving aircraft manufacturer Embraer.

Special Judge Anil Antil, who had previously deemed arrest of Bhalla, who is the Director of Interdev Aviation Services Pvt Ltd, Singapore, illegal and granted interim bail on February 16, has now extended regular bail on a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh with one surety of the same amount.

The judge noted that the charge sheet in the case was filed in 2021 after completing the investigation without the arrest of Bhalla. He categorised the case as a "complaint without arrest" based on the factual matrix and directions from superior courts.

The bail application argued that Bhalla was not needed for custodial interrogation, and there was no risk of tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.

Bhalla, identified as an alleged middleman, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the supply of 3 EMP-145 aircraft to the Indian government. The case involves allegations that Bhalla created shell companies to launder money received as a commission in the aircraft deal.