Delhi Excise Policy Case: Supreme Court Grants Bail to All Accused, Including Businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall

Delhi Excise Policy Case: On October 25, the Supreme Court granted bail to businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall, director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, involved in the Delhi Excise Policy case. With Dhall's bail, all accused in the controversial liquor policy case, which includes several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, have now been granted bail.

Details of the Bail Decision

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan made the ruling, considering that Dhall had been in custody for over 1.5 years and that the trial may take longer due to the 300 witnesses listed by the CBI. Dhall had earlier been denied bail by the Delhi High Court in June 2024, following his arrest in March 2023.

Background: The Delhi Excise Policy Controversy

The Delhi Excise Policy case involves allegations of corruption and irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy implementation by the AAP-led Delhi government, then headed by Arvind Kejriwal. The policy was later revoked in August 2022 due to backlash and allegations of procedural violations.

Bail Status of Key Accused

Arvind Kejriwal: The former Chief Minister of Delhi, was granted bail on September 13. Conditions included furnishing a Rs. 10 lakh bond, attending all hearings, and refraining from public comments on the case.

Manish Sisodia: Former Delhi Deputy CM, granted bail on August 9, after 17 months of custody.

K Kavitha: BRS leader and Telangana CM's daughter, granted bail on August 27. Kavitha was in custody for five months.

Sanjay Singh: AAP’s Rajya Sabha member, was granted bail in April 2024, six months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.

Vijay Nair: Former AAP media in-charge, granted bail on September 2.

Other Released Accused

Several business figures and AAP associates, such as liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru, Pernod Ricard's regional manager Benoy Babu, and media director Rajesh Joshi, are also out on bail. Three others, including Aurobindo Pharma director Sarath Chandra Reddy, were released after turning approvers.

With the latest bail decisions, all accused individuals in the Delhi Excise Policy case are now out of jail as the lengthy trial process continues.

Summary

The Supreme Court granted bail to businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall, making him the last accused in the Delhi Excise Policy case to be released. This case involves allegations of corruption related to Delhi’s liquor policy, which was introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government and later canceled due to opposition and alleged irregularities.

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Several high-profile leaders, including AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and BRS leader K Kavitha, were also granted bail earlier. The court noted that Dhall and the other accused had been in custody for extended periods and that the trial could take a long time due to the large number of witnesses involved.