New Delhi, Feb 16 A Delhi court on Thursday rejected the bail pleas of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Vijay Nair along with four others in the Delhi excise policy case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The four others who were denied bail by the Special Judge of Rouse Avenue Courts M.K. Nagpal are Abhishek Boinpally, Sarath Chandra Reddy, Sameer Mahendru and Benoy Babu.
While denying bail, Nagpal said that the method adopted by the five persons for committing the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) makes up for sufficient incriminating eveidence.
As the ED has already levelled serious allegations of tampering evidence against them, the court said that it will also be not possible to hold that the accused persons will not try to tamper evidence in case they are released on bail.
"Keeping in view the totality of facts and circumstances and the above discussion, this court is of the considered opinion that none of the applicants/accused deserves to be released on bail in this case at this stage of proceedings, as the allegations levelled against them are quite serious and relate to commission of an economic offence of money-laundering defined by Section 3 and made punishable by Section 4 of the PMLA. Hence, their bail applications are being dismissed," the court observed.
The court had on February 11 sent Y.S.R. Congress Party MP Magunta Srinivas Reddy's son Raghav Magunta to 10-day ED remand in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
The ED had arrested Raghav on the same day.
According to the ED, Raghav is a key person in the conspiracy of cartelisation and kickbacks hatched along with various other persons in the Delhi excise policy case.
The ED had also arrested Punjab-based businessman Gautam Malhotra and a person named Rajesh Joshi, an aide of Vijay Nair.
It was alleged that Joshi got money from Nair for the Goa Assembly elections. The money was proceeds of crime generated through the Excise Policy Scam.
Their interrogation led to the arrest of Raghav.
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