Excise scam: HC extends businessman’s interim bail by 5 days

New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended by five days the interim bail granted to businessman Amit Arora in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

The high court was hearing a plea by Arora, the director of Gurugram-based Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd, seeking extension of interim bail on the ground of medical condition of his wife who has undergone surgery.

Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain disposed of the application noting that the relief was granted to the petitioner by a trial court here on June 6 for two weeks and he shall approach the same court within five days for seeking extension of interim bail. The high court said till then the period of interim bail stands extended.

Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, representing Arora, submitted that the trial court had granted his client interim bail for two weeks on the condition that he shall not seek further extension.

Since the trial court had already disclosed its mind of not extending the interim bail, he challenged its June 6 order in the high court.

Pahwa said Arora’s wife was in hospital and she suffered a brain stroke in the morning.

The counsel for the Enforcement Directorate submitted that Arora was granted interim bail by the trial court and he should now approach the same court for extension.

The high court, while dictating the order, directed the trial court concerned to decide the extension plea independent of any observation made in the June 6 order.

Earlier, while granting interim bail to Arora, the trial court had noted the submission of his counsel that his father-in-law had already expired and his mother-in-law, who was aged around 72 years, lived in Mohali, Punjab. His wife’s two brothers lived in Bangalore and London. It had noted that no other family member lived in close proximity to the house of the applicant’s wife to take care of her and their children.

Arora was arrested by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on November 29, 2022.

The money laundering case stems from the CBI FIR which was lodged on the recommendation of Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

The CBI had claimed that Arora was a close associate of AAP leader Manish Sisodia and they were actively involved in “managing and diverting” the illicit money collected from liquor licencees.

According to the CBI and ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders.