2 who 'arranged' poll expense of AAP get bail

New Delhi: A Delhi court has granted bail to two men who were accused of being instrumental in the transfer of Rs 44 crore kickbacks from Delhi to Goa for election expenses of AAP in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Noting that the duo did not play any role in the formulation or implementation of the policy, Special Judge M K Nagpal granted relief to Chanpreet Singh Rayat and Arvind Kumar Singh on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each.

“It is not in dispute that both the applicants have not played any role in the formulation of the above excise policy and they are also not found connected with the implementation of the said policy in any manner, and none of them is or was even having any stake or interest in the liquor business in Delhi or in any other part of the country,” the judge noted in an order passed on July 22.

Citing the prosecution side, he said both the accused were also not suspected to have been a part of the ‘South lobby', which allegedly paid the above advance kickbacks to the co-accused Vijay Nair and Manish Sisodia or any other politician of AAP, in connection with the formulation of the policy or for insertion of any favourable clauses in the policy.

“The applicants are not connected with the flow of the bribe or kickback amount from South India to Delhi and admittedly, they are connected only with outflow thereof from Delhi to Goa in connection with election-related expenses of APP,” the judge noted.

It will be a matter of trial as to whether their acts can be considered a part of the criminal conspiracy in relation to the formulation or implementation of the policy, or that they received a bribe or kickback amount or proceeds of crime generated through this case, the judge said.

The judge further observed that both the accused were employees or associates of Rajesh Joshi, a co-accused in the case whose company – Chariot Productions Media Pvt. (PTI)