The Supreme Court of India on Monday, granted bail to Vijay Nair, former media incharge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who was implicated in the Delhi excise scam case.
A Bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti noted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) failed to complete the trial within the promised timeframe. Despite the agency’s earlier assurances, the trial is yet to begin, and around 350 witnesses still need to be examined, according to a report from Bar and Bench.
SC grants bail to AAP’s ex-communication in-charge Vijay Nair in money laundering case linked to Delhi excise policy ‘scam’
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The Court referenced a previous commitment by the ED during the Manish Sisodia case, where the agency had assured that the trial would conclude within six to eight months. However, the trial has not started, even though the ED had provided this assurance on October 30, 2023. The Court observed that 40 individuals have been charged in the case, with the prosecution intending to call 350 witnesses.
Nair’s release on bail comes shortly after the Supreme Court granted bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha in a related case involving the Delhi excise policy. The Court also criticized the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED for the manner in which they conducted their investigations.
The Supreme Court has already granted bail to AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia, as well as Kavitha, in connection with the case. However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remains in jail.
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The Court highlighted that Nair has been in custody for 23 months and emphasized that prolonged pretrial detention should not be used as a form of punishment. The Court stated that the principle of “bail as the rule, jail as the exception” would be undermined if Nair continued to be held without the trial commencing.
