Delhi Excise Policy Case: High Court grants bail to liquor businessman, AAP volunteer amid ED probe

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to two individuals -- liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru and AAP volunteer Chanpreet Singh Rayat -- in connection with the excise policy ‘scam’ case.

Mahendru and Chanpreet Singh are currently being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate for links to a money-laundering case.

Chanpreet Singh was arrested by the ED on April 12, 2022 in connection with the money-laundering case. He had allegedly "managed" cash funds for the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) campaign for the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.

While Mahendru was arrested by the federal agency on September 28, 2022.

The prosecution has accused Mahendru of being one of the major beneficiaries of the violations in the excise policy as he was not only running an alcoholic beverage manufacturing unit but also given a wholesale licence, along with some retail licences, in the name of his relatives.

The ED has also alleged that the "South Group" -- comprising Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, businessman Sarath Chandra Reddy and others -- paid bribes amounting to ₹100 crore to the AAP for obtaining a prime position in Delhi's liquor market as part of the now-scrapped excise policy.

An amount of ₹45 crore from these alleged kickbacks was used by the AAP to fund its poll campaign in Goa, claimed the ED.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED, irregularities were committed while amending the excise policy for 2021-22, and undue favours were given to licence holders.

The Arvind Kejriwal government had implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it in September 2022 amid the graft allegations.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Kavitha and several others are accused in the cases related to the scrapped excise policy.