New Delhi: Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Thursday dismissed the bail applications of five accused in a Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case. Special Judge M K Nagpal denied the relief to Sharath Reddy, Abhishek Boinpally, Vijay Nair, Benoy Babu and Sameer Mahendru, saying the stage was not set to grant them bail.
The money laundering case in question stems from a CBI FIR accusing Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other excise department officials. Earlier, Special Judge MK had decided to list all the bail pleas together instead of hearing them separately. The court had therefore reserved the verdict in all the cases together. The next hearing of the key case will be held on February 28. All the accused related to the case will have to be physically present in the court room.
The CBI had filed an FIR against 14 people including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in August 2022 after Delhi LG lodged a complaint alleging irregularities in the new excise policy. A charge sheet was filed against five persons associated with the Aam Aadmi Party. Vijay Nair and Abhishek were arrested before the charge sheet, whereas in other five cases, the chargesheet was filed without the arrests of the accused. The CBI had accused Vijay Nair and Abhishek of hatching a criminal conspiracy and taking undue advantage of the new excise policy.
Meanwhile, the AAP said it "respectfully disagrees" with a city court's decision to dismiss the bail application of its communications in-charge Vijay Nair in a Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case. The party, in a statement, said that it will be challenging the order through an appeal.
"The whole narrative of a scam taking place in the liquor policy is a total sham and smacks of political vendetta. We respectfully disagree with the court's bail order passed today and will be challenging it through an appeal," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on the court's decision to reject Nair's bail.
"We have full faith in the judiciary and are confident that the courts will eventually prove that this case is nothing but a sham," the party said. The money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation FIR.
