Today, the Supreme Court granted bail to Amandeep Singh Dhall, a businessman and director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, in the alleged Delhi liquor policy “scam” case. This ruling means that all accused in the case—including prominent AAP figures Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and BRS leader K Kavitha—now have bail.
The bail order was passed by a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, who reviewed Dhall’s appeal challenging the Delhi High Court’s June 4, 2024, decision that had denied him bail in the CBI case. Highlighting that the CBI intends to examine around 300 witnesses, the Supreme Court noted that the trial would likely extend for a considerable period. Dhall, having been in custody for over 1.5 years, was therefore eligible for bail as further detention was deemed unnecessary. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Dhall, underscored that Dhall was the last of the accused awaiting bail, as all others had received regular or interim release.
Justice Surya Kant, during the hearing, pointed out that the CBI should focus on the quality of its evidence and witness testimonies rather than the sheer number, emphasizing the need for robust convictions in cases involving white-collar crimes. “The focus should be on securing convictions and ensuring accountability rather than simply detaining suspects,” he advised.
### Background Details
The Delhi High Court had initially rejected Dhall’s bail request based on the serious nature of the charges and preliminary evidence. The High Court referred to an FIR alleging that Dhall’s father had provided Rs. 5 crore to a chartered accountant to influence officials in the Directorate of Enforcement related to the ongoing investigation.
In addition to witness testimony and WhatsApp exchanges, documents seized in raids reportedly implicated Dhall in payments totaling Rs. 4.97 crore in additional credit notes. Furthermore, the High Court remarked on Dhall’s connections with influential leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party and his potential role in the conspiracy surrounding the liquor policy scheme. These associations, coupled with the unresolved nature of the evidence and untested testimonies, led the High Court to conclude that Dhall did not satisfy the “triple test” for bail.
On September 17, the Supreme Court issued a notice on Dhall’s appeal against the High Court’s denial of bail. That same day, Dhall and co-accused Amit Arora were granted bail by the Delhi High Court in the related money laundering case stemming from the liquor policy allegations. Before this Supreme Court order, Dhall was the only remaining accused who had not secured bail in the broader liquor policy investigation.
