Excise policy scam: Bizman Abhishek Boinpally moves Delhi HC for bail

NEW DELHI: Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court against the trial court's order denying him bail in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Counsel representing Boinpally contended that his client is in custody since October 2022.

The plea was, however, opposed by the ED saying that it lacks maintainability.

A bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma posted the matter for the next hearing on April 20, after hearing the arguments.

Boinpally was a Director of Anoos Electrolysis & Obesity Pvt. Ltd, Anoos Health & Wellness Pvt. Ltd., Robin Distribution LLP, Agasti Ventures, SS Mines & Minerals, Master Sand LLP, Neoverse Realty Pvt. Ltd., Zeus Networking Pvt. Ltd and Valuecare Esthetic Pvt. Ltd.

On February 16, four others - Vijay Nair, Sarath Chandra Reddy, Sameer Mahendru and Benoy Babu - were also denied bail by Special Judge, Rouse Avenue Courts, M.K. Nagpal, who held that the method adopted by the five of them for committing the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) makes up for sufficient incriminating evidence.

As the ED has already made serious allegations of tampering evidence against them, the court had said that it will also be not possible to hold that the accused persons will not try to tamper with the evidence in the case if they are released on bail.

"Keeping in view the totality of facts and circumstances and the above discussion, this court is of the considered opinion that none of the applicants/accused deserves to be released on bail in this case at this stage of proceedings as the allegations made against them are quite serious and relate to commission of an economic offence of money-laundering defined by Section 3 and made punishable by Section 4 of the PMLA. Hence, their bail applications are being dismissed," the court had said.

On Monday, the court also extended Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai's ED custody by three days in the case.

He was arrested on March 6 after hours of questioning in the case.

Judge Nagpal sent Pillai to ED custody on March 7, which expired on Monday.

His arrest makes up for the 11th arrest made in the matter by the ED.

The ED has alleged that Pillai was involved in forming a cartel (now called South Group) of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers which controlled more than 30 per cent of the liquor business in the national capital.

The central agency named the said cartel, South group, which includes BRS leader K. Kavitha, Sarath Reddy, the promoter of Aurobindo Pharma, YSRCP MP from Ongole, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta and others.

The South group was represented by Pillai, Boinpally and Butchi Babu, the agency has claimed.