The Supreme Court of India has granted an extension on the interim bail for Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally until May 8, in connection with the money laundering case linked to the alleged irregularities in Delhi's excise policy.
Boinpally, a former director at Robin Distilleries LLP and described as a key intermediary in this high-profile case, was initially taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in October 2022, with subsequent charges and actions handled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, presiding over the bench, have maintained the interim bail previously granted to Boinpally, ensuring it continues until the next scheduled hearing.
The allegations under scrutiny involve modifications to the excise policy where undue advantages were purportedly given to licensees, including waivers or reductions in licensing fees and unauthorised extensions of L-1 licences.
This case has seen a wide net of accusations that include top politicians and several bureaucrats, alongside Boinpally. Prominent figures such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his close associate Manish Sisodia, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, and BRS leader K Kavitha have also been implicated and arrested in relation to this case.
The investigative agencies, ED and CBI, claim that these policy adjustments led to substantial illegal gains for the beneficiaries who allegedly funnelled these funds to the accused officials, subsequently camouflaging them within their financial records to escape legal scrutiny.
The chargesheet filed by the ED lists Boinpally alongside other significant accused such as Vijay Nair, Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, and Amit Arora, pointing to a broader investigation that touches various layers of governance and corporate interactions.
This ongoing case continues to unravel, exposing the depth of alleged corruption intertwined with policy-making at high levels of government and business.