NEW DELHI: The former AAP communication overseer Vijay Nair on Monday moved a ‘default bail plea’ before the Delhi High Court in relation to the money laundering case connected to the excise policy scam case. Nair’s petition was to come up for hearing before a single-judge bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, who was not holding the court on Monday. Now the matter is posted for August 10.
On July 29, Special Judge MK Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court had ‘denied default bail’ to Nair in the excise policy scam case which is now challenged before the high court.
The trial court, in the order, had said: “In view of factual and legal discussion, it is held that this court is not competent or the appropriate forum to consider the ground for default bail..” While arguing on the bail application, Nair’s counsel had contended before the trial court that the supplementary prosecution complaint (charge sheet) was filed by the ED within the statutory period of 60 days of arrest but without actual completion of the investigation with regard to him.
Earlier, the high court had on July 3 refused to grant bail to Nair and other co-accused in the money laundering case, including former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR which was lodged after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the new excise policy in 2021 which was later scrapped. The CBI alleged that Nair met the other co-accused and liquor manufacturers at various hotels in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi for arranging “ill-gotten money through hawala operators.”