Excise policy trial: Delhi HC bail for 2 more accused in ED case

Arora was out on interim bail since August 20 on grounds of his “precarious medical condition”, as he was suffering from “life threatening medical conditions”.

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Meanwhile, Arora was arrested on November 29, 2022 and was arraigned as an accused in the supplementary chargesheet filed by ED on January 6, 2023.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to two more accused in the excise policy case — alcohol manufacturer and distributor Brindco Sales proprietor Amandeep Singh Dhall and director of Buddy Retail Private Limited, Amit Arora. With this, 21 of the 22 people accused by the ED in the case have now been granted bail.

Arora was out on interim bail since August 20 on grounds of his “precarious medical condition”, as he was suffering from “life threatening medical conditions”. Prior to that, he was granted interim bail since August 12 via an order passed by a special judge of the trial court under Prevention of Corruption Act. He was also out on interim bail from January 30, 2023, until April 12, 2023, on grounds of his wife’s surgery.

In Arora’s case, the court took into account his medical condition. It went on to observe, “Insofar as the role of the applicant (Arora) in the present case is concerned, he stands on a better footing than the other co-accused, who have been recently granted bail.”

Noting that Dhall satisfies the condition of triple test – he is unlikely to tamper with evidence as most of the ED’s evidence is documentary in nature, he is not a flight risk, has deep roots in the society and is unlikely to influence witnesses – the court of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted him bail.

Dhall was arrested on March 1, 2023, by the ED and was arraigned as an accused in the third supplementary chargesheet. The ED had alleged that Brindco got profits worth Rs 179.3 crore as a result of conspiracy by Dhall with AAP’s communication in charge and co-accused in the case, Vijay Nair and the ‘South Group’ (business persons from South India).

Meanwhile, Arora was arrested on November 29, 2022, and was arraigned as an accused in the supplementary chargesheet filed by ED on January 6, 2023.

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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