The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing on businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall’s bail plea in a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The Court emphasized the serious nature of the allegations and the ongoing investigations, highlighting the need for additional time for the CBI to submit its response.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today, on October 18th, adjourned the hearing on a plea filed by businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall, who has challenged the Delhi High Court’s verdict denying him bail in a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The next hearing has been scheduled for October 25.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan deferred the matter after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought additional time to file its reply. Earlier, on September 17, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the CBI, seeking its response on Dhall’s plea. Dhall approached the top court, challenging the Delhi High Court’s June 4 verdict, which refused to grant him bail. Dhall was arrested by the CBI in April last year in connection with the corruption case.
Dhall is an accused in separate cases related to the alleged excise policy scam, being investigated by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to the investigation agencies, Dhall was “actively” involved in the formulation of the liquor policy and was part of a conspiracy to facilitate kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with the money being recouped by the “South Group” through various channels. The CBI and ED have alleged that irregularities occurred during the modification of the excise policy, leading to undue favours being extended to licence holders.
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The Delhi government implemented this controversial liquor policy on November 17, 2021, but it was scrapped at the end of September 2022 after allegations of corruption surfaced. The alleged corruption and irregularities in the policy’s execution have led to several arrests, including that of Dhall.
In its June 4 verdict, the Delhi High Court dismissed Dhall’s bail application, stating that the allegations against him were serious in nature. The court emphasized that many of the key witnesses in the case were known to Dhall, and he had been in contact with influential leaders within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who were part of the Delhi government. This made the court believe that Dhall could interfere with the investigation.
The high court noted that Dhall did not meet the triple test for the grant of bail, which includes: ensuring that the accused would not tamper with the evidence, would not influence witnesses, and would not evade the trial process. The high court further said:
“Considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case… when charges are yet to be framed and evidence is yet to be recorded, and the fact that an FIR already stands registered against the applicant for paying a bribe to an officer of Directorate of Enforcement for getting his name removed from the present case, this court does not find any ground for grant of bail to the applicant, at this stage,”
the high court ruled.
The Supreme Court’s decision to defer the matter will provide the CBI with more time to submit its detailed response, and the case will be argued on its merits on October 25. Dhall’s role in the excise policy scam, if proven, has significant implications for how business and governance intersect, particularly in sensitive areas like excise policy formulation.
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Moreover, the case also draws attention to the larger political and legal battle surrounding the excise policy, which led to the Delhi government scrapping the policy amidst allegations of corruption. The involvement of high-profile individuals, accusations of kickbacks to political parties, and the potential misuse of power in the formulation of government policies continue to be key issues under investigation.
The Supreme Court’s adjournment of the bail plea gives the CBI more time to respond to the allegations and build its case. Meanwhile, the ongoing investigation into the excise policy scam continues to unravel alleged corruption and kickback schemes involving high-profile businessmen and political leaders. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching consequences for accountability and transparency in policy-making.
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