The Supreme Court granted bail today to Amandeep Singh Dhall, a businessman and director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, in connection with the corruption case stemming from the alleged Delhi liquor policy 'scam.' This ruling means that all individuals accused in the liquor policy case, including AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and BRS leader K Kavitha, have now secured bail.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued the order while addressing Dhall's challenge to the Delhi High Court's judgment dated June 4, 2024, in which a Single Judge had denied his request for regular bail in the CBI case.

The bench observed that the CBI intends to examine around 300 witnesses, indicating that the trial is unlikely to conclude in the near future. Additionally, given that the petitioner has been in custody for nearly 1.5 years, the bench concluded that further detention would not be beneficial.

Dhall had previously been granted bail in the money laundering case linked to the liquor policy. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Dhall, pointed out that all co-accused in the case have received bail, with the exception of the petitioner.

During the hearing, Justice Kant emphasized to the CBI counsel that the primary focus should be on securing convictions. He stated, "Today, the message to hardened white-collar criminals is that they can either stay incarcerated or find a way to evade justice without consequence. You must concentrate on your conviction rate. It's crucial to prioritize the quality of your witnesses rather than just their quantity."

In the impugned judgment, the High Court dismissed Dhall's request for regular bail, stating:

“Considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case, seriousness of the allegations and the evidence collected by the prosecution, and when charges are yet to be framed and evidence is yet to be recorded, and the fact that an FIR already stands registered against the applicant for paying bribe to an officer of Directorate of Enforcement for getting his name removed from the present case, this Court does not find any ground for grant of bail to the applicant, at this stage."

The court noted that Dhall's father had provided ₹5 crores to a Chartered Accountant to secure assistance from the Directorate of Enforcement concerning the ongoing investigation.

“These allegations are prima facie supported by the statements of the witnesses and approver recorded under Section 161 and 164 of Cr.P.C., as well as documentary evidence in the form of recovery of incriminating documents from the premises of applicant, WhatsApp chats, etc."

The High Court further highlighted that Dhall's involvement in the payment of additional credit notes amounting to ₹4.97 crores was established through the testimonies of several witnesses and the statements of approver Dinesh Arora.

On September 17, the Supreme Court issued a notice regarding Dhall's plea challenging the Delhi High Court's verdict. On the same day, Dhall and co-accused Amit Arora were granted regular bail by the Delhi High Court in the money laundering case linked to the liquor policy 'scam.' Prior to this order, all individuals arrested in connection with the liquor policy case had secured bail—either regular or interim—except for Dhall.