Delhi excise case: Court extends interim bail granted to accused Amit Arora

ED had alleged that Arora was involved in the activity connected to use of proceeds of crime and was therefore allegedly involved in money laundering

A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the interim bail granted to Amit Arora, one of the accused in the money laundering case stemming from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy, for a period of two weeks.

Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Pvt. Ltd., was chargesheeted by both ED and CBI. (Representative file image)

Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Pvt. Ltd., was chargesheeted by both Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI.

ED had alleged that Arora was involved in the activity connected to use of proceeds of crime and was therefore allegedly involved in money laundering.

Arora had moved the application for extension of his interim bail for a period of six weeks stating that his daughter has been suffering from mental issues.

Appearing for Arora, advocate Ujjawal Anand Sharma, submitted that she was diagnosed to be suffering from Paranoid Schizophrenia and needed to be further examined.

It was argued before the court that Arora has already consulted a few doctors, but he will have to get his daughter examined by a specialist.

It was further pointed out before the court that Arora could not do so till now because during the period of previous extension, he was summoned 5-6 times by ED to join the investigation.

The counsel for Arora had also submitted before the court that they will not seek any further extension of his interim bail on any grounds whatsoever.

The counsel also expressed regret that the application had to be moved despite an undertaking of not seeking further extension being given at the bar on the earlier date of hearing.

Special Judge MK Nagpal after hearing the arguments advanced by the counsel for Arora and ED, and going through the documents placed on record, extended Arora’s interim bail and directed him to surrender before the jail superintendent by 6pm on April 12.

Arora had initially moved an interim bail application before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court citing that his wife had been diagnosed with gall stones for which surgery was to be done.

The court on January 30 granted him two weeks interim bail on humanitarian grounds with the condition that no extension would be sought.

Arora had, however, approached the Delhi high court seeking extension on the grounds that his wife had suffered some post-surgery complications.

The Delhi HC had then on February 13 directed his interim bail to continue till February 27.

The interim bail got further extended till March 6 as the matter was relisted.

The high court while taking note of the fact that Arora’s wife had to be readmitted due to post surgery complications, extended his bail for a period of 10 days and allowed him to approach the lower court for fresh plea seeking extension on March 6.

Arora then approached the city court on March 16 again seeking extension of his interim bail for a further period of four weeks citing that her daughter had been suffering from mental issues and simultaneously her Class 10 board examinations were going on.

The counsel for Arora had also given an undertaking that no further extension of interim bail would be sought.

The court, taking note of the medical condition of Arora’s wife and his daughter had extended his interim bail till March 29.

Meanwhile, the city court on Tuesday also extended the judicial custody of three other accused, Raghav Magunta, Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra, for a period of nine days.

Magunta and Joshi were physically produced while Malhotra was produced through video conferencing before the court on the expiry of their previous judicial custody.

Regarding Magunta, ED had alleged that he is a manufacturer and is also involved in the wholesale and retail part of the business and owned shares in the company named Indospirits which is said to be a vehicle for recoupment of kickbacks.

On the other hand, ED had stated that Joshi had played a part in the laundering of money by raising fake invoices without any underlying service being provided by him.

Regarding Malhotra, ED had pointed out that he was a part of the cartel formed by liquor manufacturers wholesalers and retailers, and that he generated proceeds of crying out of the 12% profit margin which he handed over to Dinesh Arora through Amit Arora for further transmission.

The city court has extended the custody of all three accused persons till April 6.