SC grants interim bail to businessman in Delhi Excise policy 'scam'

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted five-week interim bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, who has been arrested in a money-laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta granted the interim bail to Boinpally owing to the health condition of his wife, who is suffering from various ailments.

The bench noted that the businessman has been in custody for 18 months.

It, however, asked him to give a phone number to officials of the Enforcement Directorate by which they can remain in touch with him.

The bench also asked him to surrender his passport and directed him to not leave the National Capital Region except for a visit to his hometown Hyderabad.

The top court passed the order on Boinpally's bail plea. He has also challenged the July 3, 2023 order of the Delhi High Court that dismissed his petition questioning the legality of his arrest on October 9, 2022.

Boinpally had challenged his arrest before the high court on the grounds of non-compliance of section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA), which deals with the procedure for arrest.

The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy for 2021-22 on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders.

The money-laundering case stems from the CBI FIR, which was lodged after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy.

It has been claimed that Boinpally was part of clandestine meetings and was involved in a conspiracy to launder money along with another accused, Sameer Mahendru, a businessman dealing in liquor.