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The Supreme Court has declined the bail application of liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti dismissed the application of Mahendru who had sought bail on health grounds. The bench on December 15 refused to grant bail after perusing the report of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, as per which Mahendru was not suffering from any serious ailment. He had claimed that he was suffering from various ailments including back and knee problems. On December 11, the bench had asked the AIIMS to constitute a medical board to examine Mahendru. It had also asked the AIIMS to specify in its report whether he requires any treatment and if it can be provided in jail. In its order, the apex court said, "We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and hence, the special leave petition is dismissed. We, however, clarify that the impugned judgment and the dismissal of the present special leave petition will not have any bearing on the application for grant of regular bail, as and when, filed and decided." The apex court was hearing an appeal of Mahendru against the Delhi High Court's October 19 order denying him bail in the case. The High Court had said his right to health care cannot be allowed to overshadow the pressing need to investigate fairly. Mahendru was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 28, 2022, in the money laundering case. The prosecution has accused Mahendru of being one of the major beneficiaries of the violations in the excise policy as he was not only running an alcoholic beverage manufacturing unit but was also given a wholesale licence along with some retail licences in the name of his relatives in violation of the norms. The money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR. (ANI)
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