Delhi High Court Reserves Decision on Amandeep Dhall’s Bail Plea in Money Laundering Case
The Delhi High Court has reserved its decision on the bail plea filed by Amandeep Singh Dhall, a businessman and director of Brindco Sales Private Limited. Dhall is under investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the excise policy.
Arguments Presented
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing Dhall, argued for bail on the grounds of parity, noting that other individuals involved in the same case, such as Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha, and Vijay Nair, have been granted bail by the Supreme Court. Krishnan emphasized that the trial is expected to be lengthy and that Dhall has already been in custody for several months.
On the other hand, Advocate Vivek Gurnani, representing the ED, opposed the bail plea. He argued that Dhall is accused of influencing witnesses and attempting to bribe and affect the investigation while in custody. Gurnani highlighted substantial digital evidence and witness statements supporting these allegations.
Previous Denial of Bail
On June 4, the Delhi High Court denied bail to Dhall in a related CBI case, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the evidence gathered by the prosecution. The court noted that charges are yet to be framed and evidence recorded. An FIR had also been registered against Dhall for allegedly paying a bribe to an ED officer to have his name removed from the case.
Current Status
Dhall was arrested on March 1, 2023, by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED alleged that Dhall was involved in the formulation of the liquor policy and in facilitating kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its recoupment by the South Group. Both the ED and the CBI have claimed irregularities in modifying the excise policy, including undue favours to licence holders and falsified 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.
Reserves Decision -: When the court ‘reserves decision,’ it means the judge needs more time to think before making a final decision.
Amandeep Singh Dhall -: Amandeep Singh Dhall is a businessman who is in trouble with the law for allegedly being involved in money laundering.
Bail Plea -: A bail plea is when someone asks the court to let them out of jail while they wait for their trial.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is when people try to hide money they got from doing something illegal, making it look like it came from a legal source.
Excise Policy -: Excise policy refers to rules about taxes on certain goods like alcohol and tobacco.
Parity -: Parity in this context means treating someone the same way as others in similar situations.
Directorate of Enforcement -: The Directorate of Enforcement is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Witness Tampering -: Witness tampering is when someone tries to change or influence what a witness will say in court.
Bribery -: Bribery is when someone gives money or gifts to another person to get them to do something illegal or dishonest.
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation, which is a top police agency in India that handles serious crimes.
