Vijay Nair: Supreme Court adjourns hearing on Vijay Nair's bail plea in excise policy case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of ​​former Aam Aadmi Party communications chief Vijay Nair in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti adjourned the matter after the ED's counsel sought a week's time to file a counter-statement.

“Reluctantly, the time requested is granted,” the court said.

The top court had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 12 on Nair's plea while noting that he had been in custody for the past two years.

Representing Nair, senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Vikram Chaudhary submitted before the court on August 12 that he was arrested on November 13, 2022 and had challenged the trial court's July 29 order dismissing his bail application in default.

On July 3, the High Court had 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 filed after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended an inquiry into the Excise Policy 2021-22 which was later dropped. The CBI alleged that Nair had met other co-accused, liquor manufacturers and distributors at various hotels in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi for arranging “ill-gotten money through hawala operators” which was given to the AAP as bribe in exchange for favours. It was also alleged 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 raided nearly three dozen premises in Delhi and Punjab after the arrest of Mahendru, the managing director of Delhi's Jor Bagh-based liquor distributor Indospirit Group.

Other accused in the case are former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, former excise commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, former deputy commissioner of excise department Anand Tiwari and former assistant commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.

According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed in amending the excise policy and undue favours were given to licensees.

The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it in late September 2022 due to corruption allegations.