Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has granted bail to accused businessman Sameer Mahendru and Aam Aadmi Party activist Manpreet Singh Rait in a money laundering case related to the liquor scam case in Delhi. Justice Nina Bansal Krishna’s court has granted bail to the accused. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is still in judicial custody in the liquor scam case. He has been granted bail in a money laundering case linked to a liquor scam, but is yet to be granted bail in a corruption case in which he has been accused by the CBI.
ED arrested Sameer Mahendru on 28 September 2022. Mahendru is alleged to be one of the main beneficiaries of the violation of rules in the excise policy case as he not only ran an alcoholic beverage manufacturing unit but also granted some retail licenses along with wholesale licenses in the names of his relatives, who were found to have violated the rules.
ED arrested Raitt last year
The ED had arrested Raitt last year in a money laundering case related to the liquor scam. who was accused of arranging money in cash for the election campaign of the Aam Aadmi Party for the 2022 Goa assembly elections. After Rait’s arrest, the case progressed and on March 21, 2024, the ED arrested Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal.
Vijay Nair was granted bail last week
Last week, the Supreme Court granted bail to Vijay Nair, the Aam Aadmi Party’s communications in-charge. Nair was arrested on charges of money laundering related to the liquor scam case. Earlier, former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and then BRS leader K Kavita were also granted bail. Vijay Nair had to stay in jail for about 23 months. Nair is counted among those who were earlier arrested in the liquor scam.
This was revealed through the report of the then Chief Secretary
The Delhi liquor scam was exposed on July 8, 2022 by the then Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar’s report. After this the matter reached the CBI and then the ED also stepped in. The CBI and ED have claimed that irregularities were committed while revising the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22 and unfair benefits were given to license holders. The Kejriwal government in Delhi implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but canceled it in late September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
