Delhi Liquor Policy Case: Supreme Court Grants Regular Bail To Hyderabad Businessman Abhishek Boinpally

The Supreme Court today (October 14) granted regular bail to Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally in the Delhi Liquor Policy case in parity with other accused persons.

Although a plea was raised before the Court by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary to allow Boinpally to travel within the country as against the conditions imposed on travel in the interim bail order, the Court said that the trial Court shall decide the same. But orally clarified that the conditions so far imposed were only for interim bail.

The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar was hearing a special leave petition filed by Boinpally against a Delhi High Court judgment of July 2023 denying him bail.

Till now, Boinpally was on interim bail granted by the Supreme Court on March 20. It was extended from time to time, last on August 13 for two months. As per the interim bail order, Boinpally was directed to not leave the National Capital Region except for a visit to Hyderabad.

Boinpally, a former director of Robin Distilleries LLP and an alleged middleman is among the many people being investigated in the Delhi Liquor Policy case. He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in October 2022, but one month later, got bail in the case.

However, this relief was short-lived. At the same time, Special Judge MK Nagpal allowed the Enforcement Directorate's plea to take Boinpally into custody for five days. Following this, in October 2022, the businessman went back into custody.

Initially, Boinpally approached the Special Court and the Delhi High Court for bail, but was denied relief. The Special Judge held that Boinpally was one of the representatives of the South Group in the cartelization and played an active role in the payment of kickbacks as well as their recoupment. The High Court did not find ground to interfere with the Special Judge's order and dismissed Boinpally's bail plea citing "gravity of the allegations" and "credible material on record".

The accused in the Delhi liquor policy case including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha were granted bail by the Supreme Court.