SC grants bail to ex-AAP office bearer Vijay Nair in Delhi Excise Policy case
Vijay Nair in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti had deferred the matter after the counsel for the ED sought a weeks' time for filing a counter affidavit.
The top court had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 12 on the plea of Nair while noting that he has been in custody for two years.
Appearing for Nair, senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Vikram Chaudhary had submitted before the court on August 12 that he was arrested on November 13, 2022, and he has challenged the trial court's July 29 order dismissing his default bail plea.
Earlier, on July 3 last year, the high court refused to grant bail to Nair and other co-accused in the money laundering case.
The money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR lodged after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a probe into the excise policy 2021-22 which was later scrapped.
The CBI has alleged that Nair met some other co-accused, liquor manufacturers and distributors at various hotels in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi for arranging «ill-gotten money through hawala operators» that was given to the AAP as a kickback in return for favours.
It was also claimed that businessman and co-accused Abhishek Boinpally was part of the meetings and was involved in the conspiracy to launder money along with another accused liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru.
The ED had raided nearly three dozen locations in Delhi and Punjab
