HC grants bail to 2 businessmen in Delhi excise policy case

While the bail order in the ED case will result in Arora walking out of jail, Dhall will remain incarcerated as he is yet to get bail in the CBI case

New Delhi

While the bail order in the ED case will result in Arora walking out of jail, Dhall will remain incarcerated as he is yet to get bail in the CBI case. (File)

The Delhi high court on Tuesday granted bail to businessmen Amandeep Singh Dhall and Amit Arora in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22.

“Bail granted,” a bench of justice Neena Bansal Krishna said while pronouncing the verdict.

Dhall had sought bail, claiming that his case is squarely covered by the case of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court in the same case, and Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd, had appealed against a city court’s order denying him bail.

To be sure, while the bail order will result in Arora walking out of jail, Dhall will remain incarcerated as he is yet to get bail in a parallel probe into the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought CBI’s response to Dhall’s bail plea.

ED arrested Dhall in March this year, and in April, CBI took him into custody on charges of conspiracy and involvement in the formation of the excise policy, and for allegedly facilitating kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Meanwhile, ED arrested Arora in November 2022, alleging that he was involved in the activity connected to use of proceeds of crime and was therefore allegedly involved in money laundering.