Delhi Excise Scam Case: The Supreme Court (SC) of India on September 2 granted bail to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) media in-charge Vijay Nair in the alleged Delhi Excise Scam case.
According to a report by Bar and Bench, a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti said that the Enforcement Directorate has not been able to complete the trial on time despite the assurances given to the court and around 350 witnesses are yet to be examined.
“When the case of Manish Sisodia came up before this Court, an assurance was given by the ED that the trial would be concluded within 6 to 8 months, but as can be seen, the trial has not even started yet. While the assurance was given by the ED on October 30, 2023 for speedy conclusion of the trial within 6 to 8 months, it is seen that more than 40 persons have been made accused. The prosecution wishes to examine about 350 witnesses,” the Court observed, as reported by Bar & Bench.
Nair’s bail comes less than a week after the Supreme Court granted bail to Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLC K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy case. The Supreme Court pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED over the nature of investigation conducted in the case.
Apart from Kavita, the court has already granted bail to AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia in this case. However, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is still in jail in this case.
The court further said that Nair has been in custody for 23 months and the trial cannot be a punishment. “The petitioner in this case has been in custody for 23 months and his imprisonment as an undertrial prisoner cannot be a mode of punishment without the commencement of trial. This universal rule that bail is the rule and jail is the exception will fail if the petitioner is kept in custody without the commencement of trial,” the court said.
Therefore, the apex court ordered that Nair be released on bail, Bar & Bench said.
