In a latest update to the Delhi excise policy case, a court in the national capital dismissed an application of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai seeking interim bail on medical grounds. The application was rejected by Special Judge MK Nagpal who termed it "devoid of any merit".
In the charge sheet it submitted in the case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated that Pillai was close to K Kavitha, an MLC for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party. Kavita is the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
What did the judge say?
The judge dismissed the application seeking relief on medical grounds, citing multiple ailments, including tuberculosis. The judge noted Pillai had already taken complete treatment for tuberculosis. The judge declared that tuberculosis was a curable disease. It can be cured if the treatment prescribed is followed although its recurrence cannot be ruled out, he said.
“However, it is not the case of the applicant that this recurrence of tuberculosis has taken place or he has been diagnosed again to be suffering from the above said disease. Hence, the fact that he happened to be a patient of tuberculosis in the year 2009 does not matter at all for the disposal of this application,” the judge said.
The accused claimed that he had a history of two falls that occurred roughly 13 and 4 years ago, but the court rejected this claim as well, pointing out that he had not disclosed any such history of falls when he was taken into custody and examined by a doctor at that time.
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Delhi excise policy case
The ED was represented by Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta besides Mohd Faizan Khan, while advocate Anuj Tiwari appeared for Pillai. The ED's money laundering case stems from the CBI FIR in the alleged scam.
According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and undue favours were extended to licence holders. The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.
(With inputs from PTI)
