New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (October 25) granted bail to businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall in a corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-defunct Delhi Excise Policy.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail to Dhall subject to the terms and conditions set by the trial court and directed him to appear before the trial court on each hearing.
Trial is yet to commence and conclusion of trial may take some reasonable time, apex court noted
The apex court, while granting bail to Dhall, noted that there are approximately 300 witnesses whom the CBI proposes to examine. It further noted that he has been in custody for more than one and half years, supplementary chargesheet has been filed, trial is yet to commence in the case and that the conclusion of trial may take some reasonable time and his retention would not serve any purpose.
Apex court also noted main co-accused, including Kejriwal, has been enlarged on bail
The bench also noted that he has been enlarged on bail in the excise policy-linked money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and that main co-accused in the corruption case, including former Delhi Chieef Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has been enlarged on bail.
Dhall, who was the director of his family-owned company Brindco, is stated to be a part of a WhatsApp group where certain confidential documents relating to the now-defunct Delhi Excise Policy were allegedly shared before they were published.
Dhall, who was arrested in the CBI case on April 18, 2022, had moved the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order refusing to grant him bail in the corruption case. The High Court, while refusing to enlarge him on bail in the corruption case, had said that he does not satisfy the triple test for grant of bail
What did the High Court say while refusing bail to Dhall in CBI case?
“Since many of the witnesses in this case (CBI) are well known to the present applicant (Dhall) and the applicant herein was also in contact with influential leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi Government for hatching conspiracy, this court holds that the triple test for grant of bail is not satisfied by the applicant,” the High Court had said in its June 4 verdict.
The High Court recently granted Dhall bail in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
