Vivo India Case: Chinese Man Gets Bail; Court Says ‘Duty-Bound To Protect Rights Of Foreigners Too’’

New Delhi: A Chinese man has been granted bail by a Delhi court 13 months after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Vivo India Rs 20,000-crore money-laundering case.

Guangwen, alias Andrew, worked as an admin manager in the Human Resources Department at Vivo’s Greater Noida factory since 2016.

While granting bail, Additional sessions judge Kiran Gupta said trial courts are duty-bound to ensure fundamental rights of all individuals are not violated.

“Duty is cast upon the trial courts to see that constitutional rights of an individual are not violated, be it a citizen or a foreign national. The trial courts are the first interface or point of contact or line of defence, with the litigant. Hence, it is the bounden duty of the trial courts, special courts to protect the fundamental right of an individual,” Gupta stated in her 36-page order passed on November 11, a copy of which was uploaded on Wednesday.

The order said that all individuals are entitled to speedy trial as part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Guangwen’s first bail application had been rejected.

The court acknowledged that the Vivo employee was in judicial custody since October 10, 2023, and had thus served 13 months of imprisonment. There had been no adverse behaviour from the applicant, the court said.