Excise policy case: Delhi court extends custody parole of Hyderabad businessman Arun Pillai

New Delhi [India], December 13 : The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi extended the custody parole of businessman Arun Pillai on Wednesday by three days in a money laundering case related to excise policy to look after his ailing wife in Hyderabad.
Pillai, through his advocate Nitesh Rana, has moved an application because the tests of his wife are now being conducted and it is being stated that she has been advised surgery and has been advised to be admitted to the hospital on December 14, 2023, and her surgery is tentatively scheduled to be performed on December 15, 2023.
The custody parole of accused Arun Pillai is being extended till December 16, 2023, on the same terms and conditions as contained in the previous order dated December 7, 2023, of this court, said Special Judge MK Nagpal.
Earlier, the Court had directed that the accused and applicant, Arun Ramachandran Pillai, shall be taken to his hometown in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, under adequate security arrangements by air or train on a date requested by him and he shall be permitted to remain at his house or in a hospital, as the case may be, for 5 days, excluding the travel time between Delhi and Hyderabad.
He shall also be permitted to accompany his wife to undergo all the above tests, procedures or processes at the concerned hospital within the above-mentioned time, the court further said.
However, the court also imposed the conditions that the applicant shall not tamper or attempt to tamper with evidence or try to influence the witnesses of this case in any manner; he shall not interact with any media person in any manner; he shall not meet anybody except members of his family; and further, he shall also not have any access to the phone or internet during the above-said visit.
Pillai has recently moved the trial court through advocates Deepak Nagar and Prakhar Shukla and prayed for eight weeks' bail, citing his wife's medical grounds.
Advocate Rana appeared for Arun Pillai and also requested the grant of custody parole to the accused for a few days so that he could be physically present with his wife for her moral support for undergoing medical treatment.
ED arrested Pillai in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam in March 2023. He was arrested for allegations that he collected bribes from another accused, Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of lndospirit and handed them over to the other accused.
The ED has filed a supplementary complaint in the alleged liquor scam case against Arun Ramachandran Pillai and Delhi-based businessman Amandeep Dhall.
The charge sheet stated that Arun Pillai had given false statements under Section 50 of PMLA, 2002, during the investigation.
"Arun Pillai has actively participated in evidence destruction and has changed/used/destroyed 5 mobile phones in two years. The phones used by Arun Pillai during the period of the scam have not been produced by him during the investigation," ED stated.
Further, the chats with Arun Pillai found on other people's phones have not been found on his phones, which were seized during the search. This is because Arun Pillai has indulged in the destruction of evidence, the charge sheet stated.
Arun Pillai has attempted to create a legal facade by allegedly filing a retraction of all his statements during the period of investigation given under Section 50 of the PMLA.
"This act of Arun Pillai is only to create a legal facade and is motivated to derail the investigation," the agency further stated.
In the ED case, businessman Amandeep Singh Dhal was arrested on March 1 and Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested on March 6, 2023.
The ED and the CBI have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval.
The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
As alleged, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.
This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.