The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding businessman Vijay Nair's bail plea in a money laundering case tied to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy.

A bench comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti has sought the ED's response to Nair's petition, challenging a Delhi High Court decision that denied him bail. Previously, Nair's bail request had also been rejected by the trial court.

Nair, who has been in custody for nearly two years, was initially arrested by the CBI in September 2022 and later by the ED. His counsel argued for bail on the grounds of parity, citing that co-accused Manish Sisodia has been granted bail and noting that the trial has not yet commenced.

Nair had contended that he was merely the media and communications head for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and was not involved in the drafting, framing, or implementation of the excise policy, alleging that he was being targeted due to his political affiliation.

The ED, however, claims that Nair received kickbacks amounting to ₹100 crore on behalf of AAP leaders from a group known as the South Group.

Both the ED and the CBI have alleged that irregularities occurred during the modification of the excise policy, including undue favors to license holders, the waiving or reduction of license fees, and the extension of L-1 licenses without the required approvals.