Today, On 9th September, In the Delhi Excise Policy case, the High Court granted bail to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru and AAP volunteer Chanpreet Singh Rayat. Both individuals are under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate for suspected money laundering. The case forms part of the ongoing probe into the excise policy scam.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteer Chanpreet Singh Rayat in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna pronounced the order, stating “Bail granted” for both accused in the case, which is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna delivered the ruling, with the detailed judgment yet to be released.
Mahandru, the owner of IndoSpirit, approached the High Court seeking bail due to delays in the proceedings, after his initial plea denied by the trial court in February 2024. This marked his second attempt to secure bail.
The prosecution claims that Mahandru a significant beneficiary of the excise policy, operating an alcoholic beverages manufacturing unit. He had been granted a wholesale license and additional retail licenses under the names of his relatives.
In a related case, Chanpreet Singh has been accused of handling cash payments for the Aam Aadmi Party’s 2022 Goa election campaign.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED claimed that irregularities were made during the modification of the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22, with undue advantages being granted to licence holders. The Delhi government introduced the policy on November 17, 2021, but later repealed it in September 2022 following corruption allegations.
Rayat, who allegedly handled cash funds for AAP’s 2022 Goa Assembly election campaign, arrested by the ED on April 12 in relation to the money-laundering case. Mahendru was taken into custody by the ED on September 28, 2022.
The federal agency accused Chanpreet Singh Rayat of handling cash payments for the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) campaign in the 2022 Goa elections and having a connection with the ruling party in Delhi.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the “South Group” which includes Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate for the Ongole Lok Sabha seat Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, businessman Sarath Chandra Reddy, and others allegedly paid Rs 100 crore in bribes to the AAP to secure a favourable position in Delhi’s liquor market under the now-defunct 2021-22 excise policy.
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The ED further claims that Rs 45 crore of these alleged kickbacks was used to finance AAP’s election campaign in Goa.
Mahendru, a key accused, alleged to have been a major beneficiary of the policy violations. He reportedly operated an alcoholic beverage manufacturing unit and received a wholesale licence along with retail licences under the names of his relatives, in violation of regulations.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha, and several others have also been implicated in the excise policy case.