Excise Case: Court grants two-week interim bail to Hyderabad businessman Arun Pillai

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Monday granted two weeks interim bail to Businessman Arun Pillai in a money laundering case related to excise policy to look after his ailing wife in Hyderabad.

The Special Judge MK Nagpal while granted interim bail said the applicant is being granted interim bail in this case for two weeks only from the date of his release with the condition that he shall furnish before this court a persona bond for Rs 4 Lakh with one surety in the like amount.

During the said period, he shall not leave the limits of his native state of Hyderabad unless and until the same is necessary in connection with the treatment of his wife and he shall not destroy or tamper with the evidence of this case and shall not influence any witness of the case nor he shall even make any attempt to do so, said the Court.

Advocate Nitesh Rana, who appeared for Arun Pillai had submitted that Arun Pillai’s wife has been advised surgery and she has been advised to be admitted to hospital.

Earlier, the Court had granted custody parole to Arun Pillai for some days.

The Court had directed that the accused and applicant Arun Ramachandran Pillai shall be taken to his hometown at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh under adequate security arrangements by air or by train on a date requested by him and he shall be permitted to remain at his house or in hospital, as the case may be required, for 5 days, excluding the travel time between Delhi to Hyderabad.

Arun Ramachandran Pillai has recently moved the trial Court through advocates Deepak Nagar and Prakhar Shukla and urged for eight weeks’ bail citing his wife’s medical grounds.

Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai was arrested by the ED in March 2023 in connection with the Delhi Excise policy scam. Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested by ED for allegations that he took bribes from another accused, Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of Spirit and handed it over to the other accused.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary complaint in the alleged liquor scam case, against Arun Ramachandran Pillai and Delhi-based businessman Amandeep Dhall.

The chargesheet stated that Arun Pillai had given false statements under section 50 of PMLA, 2002 during the investigation.

“Arun Pillai has actively participated in evidence destruction and has changed/used/destroyed 5 nos. of mobile phones in 2 years. The phones used by Sh Arun Pillai during the period of the scam have not been produced by him during the investigation,” ED stated.

Further, the chats with Arun Pillai found from other persons’ phones have not been found from his phones, which were seized during the search that is because Arun Pillai has indulged in the destruction of evidence, the chargesheet stated.

Arun Pillai has attempted to create a legal facade by allegedly filing a retraction of all his statements during the period of investigation given under section 50 of PMLA.

“This act of Arun Pillai is only to create a legal facade and is motivated to derail the investigation,” the agency further stated.

In the ED case, Businessman Amandeep Singh Dhal was arrested on March 1 and Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested on March 6, 2023.

The ED and the CBI have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.

The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

As alleged, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.

This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.