The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in a money-laundering case filed against him in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam [Abhishek Boinpally vs Directorate of Enforcement].
A Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar had earlier granted Boinpally interim bail.
Today, the Court made this interim relief absolute after the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) counsel indicated that he did not have further submissions to make in the matter.
"I have nothing to say. I am in my Lords' hands," submitted Additional Solicitor General SV Raju.
"All co accused have been granted bail. We are inclined to grant him bail," the Bench replied.
The excise policy case, which is being probed by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED, involves allegations that officials of the Delhi government connived to grant liquor licenses to certain traders in exchange for bribes.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Bharatiya Rashta Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavita and Aam Aadmi Party media in-charge Vijay Nair are among those implicated in the case. All of them are presently out on bail.
Boinpally stands accused of lobbying for certain liquor businessmen based in southern India.
It is alleged that he was part of a conspiracy in pursuance of which he transferred money through hawala channels to co-accused. Further, he was allegedly involved in the conversion of bribe money into legitimate funds.
Boinpally was granted bail in the CBI case by a trial court in 2022. However, at the time, he remained behind bars since he was also implicated in the ED's money laundering case.
He moved the Supreme Court for relief after the Delhi High Court denied denied him bail in the money laundering case in June 2023.
The top court sought the response of the ED in the matter in August 2023.
On March 20 this year, the Supreme Court granted Boinpally interim bail for a month in the money laundering case. This interim bail has since been extended and was made absolute today.
Boinpally was represented before the top court by Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhary along with advocates Sumer Singh Boparai, Sidharth Saraswat, Ruby Singh Ahuja, Ishan Gaur, Aakriti Vohra and Jappanpreet Hora, briefed by a team from Karanjawala & Co.