The Supreme Court of India has ruled that bail should be the rule and jail the exception, even in cases involving the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This decision was highlighted in the context of granting bail to an aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was involved in an illegal mining-related case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Court emphasized that individual liberty remains paramount, reaffirming that stringent laws like the PMLA and UAPA should not undermine the principle of bail as a norm.