NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation approached the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, challenging a trial court’s order granting bail to businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally in a corruption case related to the Excise Policy 2021-22 for the national capital.
The CBI petition challenging the bail order is listed for hearing on Thursday before Justice Yogesh Khanna. While granting them bail, the trial court had said since the maximum punishment for the offence alleged against Nair and Boinpally is only seven years in jail, it cannot be considered severe enough to deny them the relief.
Nair, the AAP’s communication in-charge, and Boinpally, however, remain in custody as they were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case related to the excise policy, which has since been scrapped.
The trial court noted that the corruption case was based on an FIR lodged by the CBI, which does not say that Nair and Boinpally committed any substantive offences, but they are only alleged to be part of a criminal conspiracy.
An FIR was lodged in the matter after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe.
The CBI has alleged that Nair was involved in meeting the other co-accused and liquor manufacturers as well as distributors at various hotels in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi for arranging “ill-gotten money through hawala operators”.
The probe agency also claimed that Boinpally was involved in the conspiracy to launder money along with another accused, liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru.