September 11, 2024: Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai has been granted bail by the Delhi High Court in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam. Read more about the latest developments in this high-profile case.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna announced the decision on Wednesday, providing relief to Pillai.
This decision follows the recent bail granted to AAP leader Durgesh Pathak in a related corruption case. However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remains in judicial custody until September 25, as ordered by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja.
Who is Arun Pillai?
Pillai, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 6, is accused of being a close associate of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha. The ED alleges that Arun Pillai represented the “South Group,” a cartel of liquor businessmen and politicians, which purportedly paid Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for favorable modifications to the excise policy.
The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021, but it was scrapped in September 2022 amid corruption allegations. The Supreme Court had previously granted bail to K Kavitha on August 27 in the excise policy cases.
