Delhi excise 'scam'

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Enforcement Directorate's stand on the bail plea by Vijay Nair, businessman and Aam Aadmi Party's communication incharge, in connection with a money laundering case stemming from the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued notice to the agency on the petition in which Nair said he was only the media and communications in charge of AAP and was not involved in the drafting, framing or implementation of the excise policy in any manner and that he was being "victimised" for his political affiliation.

The trial court had refused to grant bail to Nair and four other accused-- Sameer Mahendru, Sharath Reddy, Abhishek Boinpally and Benoy Babu-- on February 16 while noting further investigation was still pending and it was not possible to hold that they would make no attempt to tamper with the evidence if released.

In his bail plea before the high court, 38-year-old Nair said the trial court "wrongfully and illegally" refused to grant him relief and that the allegations against him are wrong, false and without any basis. The petition asserted his arrest on November 13 last year was completely illegal and "appears to be motivated by extraneous considerations" given that the Special Court was expected to pronounce orders on his bail plea in the corruption case being probed by the CBI.

"Petitioner is being victimised on account of his political affiliation and there is no merit whatsoever in the FIR or ostensibly the ECIR (ED's version of FIR) being investigated by the Respondent... The Petitioner is liable to be enlarged on bail and his constitutionally protected freedom of liberty be protected by this Hon'ble Court," the plea stated. It claimed the ED has not been able to establish any money trail leading to the petitioner much less to any public servant and loose, uncorroborated allegations cannot constitute the basis of a prosecution. "The petitioner is only the media and communications in charge of AAP and does not hold any position with the Delhi Government of whatsoever nature and is therefore not involved in the drafting, framing or implementation of the Excise Policy in any manner," it added.