The Supreme Court on Monday has granted bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
A bench comprising Justices M. M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar made its previous interim bail order permanent.
The Additional Solicitor General S. V. Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, didn’t oppose the bail application. “We are inclined to grant him bail,” the bench stated.
The Supreme Court had first granted Boinpally interim bail on March 20, after noting that he had been in custody for 18 months. Since then, his interim bail has been extended multiple times. Upon granting bail, the court required Boinpally to surrender his passport and restricted his travel outside the National Capital Region, allowing only visits to Hyderabad.
Boinpally is challenging a July 3, 2023, order from the Delhi High Court that dismissed his petition questioning the legality of his arrest in 2022. He argued that his arrest did not comply with Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which outlines the procedure for arrests by authorized ED officials.
This section permits arrests when there is reasonable suspicion of an individual’s involvement in a punishable offense under the law.
The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy for 2021-22 on November 17, 2021, but it was scrapped by the end of September 2022 due to allegations of corruption.
The Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED claim that irregularities occurred during modifications to the policy, with undue favors given to license holders.
The money laundering case originated from a CBI FIR filed after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V. K.
Saxena recommended an investigation into alleged irregularities in the excise policy’s implementation. Boinpally is accused of participating in secret meetings and conspiring to launder money alongside another businessman, Sameer Mahendru, who is also involved in the liquor trade.
As the case develops, Boinpally’s legal challenges and the broader implications for the excise policy’s alleged corruption will be closely monitored, reflecting ongoing concerns about accountability and governance in regulatory frameworks.
