New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday granted regular bail to Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in connection with the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Noting that other accused are already out on bail, a bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh made absolute the interim relief granted to Boinpally in March this year.

Boinpally was initially granted interim bail for five weeks, on the grounds of the ill-health of his wife. This interim relief was extended from time to time by the top court.

The Supreme Court had ordered Boinpally to surrender his passport and not leave the National Capital Region (NCR), except for Hyderabad.

It had also asked Boinpally to share his mobile number with Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials so that they could remain in touch with him.

In July this year, SC judge, Justice Sanjay Kumar, recused himself from hearing the matter, thereafter, the Justice Sanjiv Khanna-led Bench, directed that the bail plea be heard by a different Bench.

Boinpally, who has been in custody since October 2022, moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's July 2023 order dismissing his bail application. Earlier, Special Judge of Rouse Avenue Courts M.K. Nagpal denied bail to Boinpally along with four others.

The trial court had said that the allegations levelled against the accused were “quite serious” and the method adopted by them for committing the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) qualified for sufficient incriminating evidence.

In its supplementary charge sheet in the alleged Delhi excise scam, the ED said a total of Rs 6.45 crore of Proceeds of Crime (PoC) was found to be linked with Boinpally.

Nearly all the accused, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and BRS leader K. Kavitha, have secured bail in the liquor excise policy case.