U.Sudhakarreddy@timesofindia.comHyderabad: A local court on Thursday cancelled bail to Heera Group chief Nowhera Shaik in a money laundering case filed by Directorate of Enforcement, allowing the agency’s petition. Also, another local court has issued a fresh non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the Heera Group chief for failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to surrender by April 15.The metropolitan sessions judge pronounced the order, cancelling the bail.ED had sought cancellation of bail granted to Nowhera Shaik in July 2019, contending that she had violated bail conditions and failed to cooperate with the investigation. The agency alleged that she had ignored multiple summons between 2023 and 2025 and failed to appear for registration of properties auctioned by ED despite directions from the Supreme Court.According to ED’s petition, Nowhera Shaik had orchestrated a Ponzi scheme by exploiting religious sentiments and allegedly defrauded 1.72 lakh investors of about Rs 5,978 crore. The agency alleged that while on bail, she attempted to sell or transfer properties provisionally attached and confirmed as “proceeds of crime” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. ED cited the alleged sale of agricultural lands in March 2023 by filing false affidavits before revenue authorities and a sale agreement for an attached Film Nagar property after accepting Rs 3 crore advance.Nowhera denies ED chargesOpposing the ED plea, Nowhera Shaik contended that she had complied with bail conditions for more than six-and-a-half years and that the petition for cancellation of bail was malafide, frivolous and bad in law. NBW issued in separate orderMeanwhile, the IV additional sessions judge, Hyderabad, at Nampally, in a separate order, issued a non-bailable warrant against Nowhera Shaik on May 7.The court issued the NBW after noting that she had failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s April 8, 2026, order directing her to surrender before jail authorities within one week. The deadline to surrender was April 15, 2026.Instead of surrendering before jail authorities, she appeared before a judicial predecessor and filed a petition seeking permission to surrender before that court, which was refused. The court observed that she had intentionally flouted the Supreme Court’s order and tried to “mislead the court” and “gain advantage” to avoid execution of sale deeds as directed by the higher court. A letter from the Special Prison for Women, Hyderabad, confirmed that she had not approached the prison authorities to surrender till May 5.
