Excise Policy case: Delhi Court seeks ED response on interim bail plea of Businessman Arun Pillai

New Delhi [India], November 30 : The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi has sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on an interim bail plea moved by Businessman Arun Pillai in a money laundering case related to excise policy.
Arun Pillai has prayed for eight weeks' bail citing his wife's medical grounds.
The Special Judge MK Nagpal on Wednesday issued notice to ED on Pillai's plea and fixed the matter for December 1, 2023, for further hearing. Advocate Nitesh Rana appeared for the Businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai.
Earlier in August month, the Court had refused to grant interim bail to Pillai on medical grounds. The Special Judge then said that an application filed on behalf of accused Arun Ramachandran Pillai seeking his interim bail on medical grounds is held to be devoid of any merits and the same is being dismissed.
The court observed that from his medical report, the applicant is being properly attended to and being provided adequate treatment for his alleged back or spine-related pains or problems in jail, not only by the visiting specialists in the field of orthopaedics but also through the two referral hospitals.
Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai was arrested by the ED in March 2023 in connection with the Delhi Excise policy scam. Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested by ED for allegations that he collected bribes from another accused, Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of lndospirit and handed it over to the other accused.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary complaint in the alleged liquor scam case, against Arun Ramachandran Pillai and Delhi-based businessman Amandeep Dhall.
The chargesheet 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 nos. of mobile phones in the span of 2 years. The phones used by Sh 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 from other persons' phones have not been found from his phones, which were seized during the search that is because Arun Pillai has indulged in the destruction of evidence, the chargesheet 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 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.