Delhi excise ‘scam’: Court grants interim bail to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru

PTI, Jan 6, 2024, 3:50 PM IST

A Delhi court has granted two-week interim bail to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

Special Judge M K Nagpal granted the relief to Mahendru, managing director of liquor distributor Indospirit on an application moved by him seeking relief due to his wife’s health issues.

The judge noted that during his earlier interim bail granted in the case, the accused did not try to influence any witness or tamper with the evidence in the case.

”He cannot be considered to be a flight risk and there is also nothing on record to show or infer that he had ever tried to influence any witness or tamper with or destroy any evidence of this case,” the judge said in an order passed on January 5.

According to the prosecution, Mahendru was one of the major beneficiaries of the violations of the excise policy as he was not only running an alcoholic beverage manufacturing unit but also given a wholesale licence along with some retail licences in the name of his relatives.

Because of the alleged irregularities and violations, Mahendru earned around Rs 50 crore profit, the prosecution claimed.

The ED had registered an enforcement case information report against Mahendru under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).