Delhi High Court Grants Bail To Arun Pillai In Liquor Policy Case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai in a Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA) case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

The central probe agency alleged that Pillai was a close aide of BRS leader K Kavitha who is also an accused in the case.

Source : PTI

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai in a Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA) case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Pillai on March 6 for allegedly being a part of the 'south group' that allegedly benefited from the now scrapped Delhi Liquor Policy.  

A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna allowed the bail to Pillai. The central probe agency alleged that Pillai was a close aide of BRS leader K Kavitha who is also an accused in the case. Pillai allegedly represented the "South Group" at meetings with other accused when the now scrapped excise policy was being formulated. Kavitha was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court.

In November 2021, the AAP government had implemented the new excise policy, but scrapped it in 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

The ED claims that the South Group got uninhibited access, undue favours, and secured stakes in established wholesale businesses and multiple retail zones (over and above what was allowed in the policy). The ED has alleged that the now scrapped new excise policy was implemented by the AAP leaders as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12% to certain private companies in alcohol business.

Pillai allegedly received bribes from Managing Director of liquor company Indospirit Sameer Mahandru, and handed them over to others. The ED also accused him of destroying evidence and making false statements in the investigation.

Mahandru was also recently granted bail by the Delhi High Court. Another co-accused in the Delhi Liquor policy case, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak was also granted bail by a Delhi court today.

Over the last few weeks, several big names including Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha have secured bail in the Delhi liquor policy case. However, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is yet to secure bail in the case.