Excise policy case: Delhi HC extends interim bail of businessman Arun Pillai till January 8
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended the interim bail granted to businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi Excise Policy case to take care of his ailing wife in Hyderabad.
A vacation bench of the Delhi High Court extended the interim bail till January 4, 2024, the last date of hearing, as it was submitted that the applicant/petitioner’s wife developed complications after she was discharged from the hospital.
Earlier, the trial court had granted two weeks’ interim bail to Arun Pillai and said that the applicant is being granted interim bail in this case only for two weeks from the date of his release, with the condition that he reports to this court. Will submit a personal statement before. A bond of Rs 4 lakh and surety of like amount.
During the said period, he shall not leave the limits of his native place Hyderabad unless it is necessary to do so in connection with the treatment of his wife and he shall not destroy or tamper with the evidence in the case and shall not influence any witness. Nor will he make any attempt to do so, the court said.
Advocates Nitish Rana and Deepak Nagar, appearing for Arun Pillai, said that the petitioner’s wife has been advised to undergo surgery and has been advised hospitalization.
Earlier, the court had given custodial parole to Pillai for a few days. The court had directed that the accused and the applicant shall be taken to his hometown Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh under adequate security arrangements by air or train on the date requested by him and he shall be allowed to stay in his home or hospital. In case, five days may be required, excluding travel time between Delhi and Hyderabad.
Pillai was arrested by the ED in March 2023 in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam.
He was arrested by the ED on charges that he collected bribe from another accused, LindoSpirit Managing Director Sameer Mahendru, and handed it over to other accused.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary complaint against Pillai and Delhi-based businessman Amandeep Dhall in the alleged liquor scam case.
The charge sheet states that Pillai had given false statements during the investigation under Section 50 of PMLA, 2002.
“Arun Pillai has actively participated in destroying evidence and has altered/used/destroyed 5 mobile phones in 2 years. The phones used by Mr. Arun Pillai during the period of the scam have not been produced by him during the investigation.” ED said.
Moreover, the chats with Pillai from the phones of other persons have not been found from his phone, which was seized during the search, this is because Pillai was involved in destroying evidence, the charge sheet said .
Pillai has allegedly attempted to create a “legal façade” by retracting all his statements during the investigation period granted under Section 50 of the PMLA.
The agency further said, “This act of Arun Pillai is only to create a legal façade and is intended to derail the investigation.”
In the ED case, businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall was arrested on March 1 and Pillai was arrested on March 6, 2023.
The ED and CBI have alleged that irregularities were committed while revising the excise policy, undue benefits were given to license holders, license fees were waived or reduced and L-1 licenses were extended without the approval of the competent authority. Went.
The beneficiaries routed the “illegal” benefits to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to avoid identification.
According to the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to return the earnest money amount of about Rs 30 crore to a successful bidder contrary to the prescribed rules.
Even though there was no enabling provision, exemption on tender license fee was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.
