Supreme Court Extends Interim Bail for Businessman in Delhi Excise Policy Scam

The Supreme Court has extended the interim bail granted to Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam

A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar postponed the hearing to October 14 due to the unavailability of Additional Solicitor General S V Raju.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Boinpally, argued that his client, arrested in October 2022, deserves bail and referenced a related case involving AAP leader Manish Sisodia. During the brief proceedings, advocate Zoheb Hossain, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), noted that Boinpally has been out on interim bail since March 6 due to his wife’s health issues. The court extended the interim relief and deferred the hearing.

On March 20, the Supreme Court ordered Boinpally’s interim release after noting his 18-month custody. His bail has since been repeatedly extended. The court had imposed conditions, including the surrender of his passport and restrictions on leaving the National Capital Region (NCR) except for visits to Hyderabad.

Boinpally has challenged a July 3, 2023, Delhi High Court decision that rejected his petition questioning the legality of his 2022 arrest. 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 based on reasonable suspicion.

The money laundering case is tied to alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was enacted in November 2021 and withdrawn in September 2022 following allegations of irregularities. The CBI and ED claim that Boinpally participated in secret meetings and conspired with another accused, liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru, to launder money.

(With inputs from agency)