Delhi High Court Grants Bail to Businessmen Amit Arora and Amandeep Dhall
The Delhi High Court has granted regular bail to businessmen Amit Arora and Amandeep Dhall in a case related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This development means that all accused individuals in this particular ED case have now been granted bail.
Key Figures in the Case
Amit Arora, the director of Gurugram-based Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd, and Amandeep Singh Dhall, the director of Delhi-based Brindco Sales Private Limited, have been key figures in the money laundering case. The ED has been probing their financial transactions as part of a larger investigation.
Legal Proceedings
Amit Arora had been granted interim bail on medical grounds, and the recent decision converts this interim relief into regular bail. In a related Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, Arora was not arrested, and a chargesheet was filed against him without taking him into custody.
Amandeep Dhall’s bail plea was reserved by the Delhi High Court on September 3, 2024. His bail in a separate CBI case is currently under review by the Supreme Court of India. Earlier, in June 2024, the Delhi High Court had denied him bail in the CBI case.
Arguments and Allegations
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing Dhall, argued for bail on the grounds of parity, citing other individuals granted bail in the same case. However, Advocate Vivek Gurnani, representing the ED, opposed the bail plea, alleging that Dhall influenced witnesses and attempted to bribe and affect the investigation while in custody.
Dhall was arrested on March 1, 2023, by the ED under the PMLA. The ED alleged that Dhall and others were involved in the formation of the liquor policy and facilitating kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Both the ED and the CBI claimed irregularities in modifying the Excise Policy, including undue favours to licence holders and falsifying accounts to evade detection.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big court in Delhi, India, where important legal cases are decided.
Bail -: Bail means that someone who was in jail can go home, but they might still have to go back to court later.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is when people try to hide where money really came from, usually because it was earned in a bad or illegal way.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) -: The Enforcement Directorate is a government agency in India that looks into financial crimes like money laundering.
Amit Arora -: Amit Arora is a businessman and the director of a company called Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd.
Amandeep Dhall -: Amandeep Dhall is a businessman and the director of a company called Brindco Sales Private Limited.
Regular Bail -: Regular bail means that the person can stay out of jail while their case is still being decided in court.
Financial Irregularities -: Financial irregularities are when money is not handled in the right or legal way.
Corruption -: Corruption is when people in power do dishonest or illegal things, often for money or personal gain.
Delhi Excise Policy -: The Delhi Excise Policy is a set of rules about how alcohol is sold and managed in Delhi.