The Supreme Court's Appellate Division has mandated that two associates of infamous money launderer Prashant Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder, must surrender by June 4. The individuals in question are Basudev Banerjee and his wife Papia Banerjee, both former directors of International Leasing and Financial Services.

A seven-judge appellate bench, led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, issued the order on Thursday.

Previously, on May 9, the High Court had granted the Banerjees six weeks of anticipatory bail in connection with 15 cases related to the illicit acquisition of wealth. Despite this bail, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik stated that they were instructed to surrender their passports to the court and are barred from international travel without court approval.

According to lawyer Nurul Islam Sujan, the Banerjees did not participate in board meetings or decision-making processes concerning lending or recovery during their tenure as directors. Allegations suggest their signatures were forged and that the company was primarily managed by the chairman and managing director.

It is asserted that Basudev and Papia Banerjee did not transfer any funds or loans to themselves or to any other shareholder companies, nor did they benefit financially. Their absence has reportedly caused significant operational difficulties for their company, which employs around 8,500 individuals.

In 2021, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against the Banerjees, along with PK Halder, accusing them of embezzlement.