Delhi High Court Seeks ED Response on Arun Pillai’s Interim Bail Plea

The Delhi High Court requested the Enforcement Directorate's response to businessman Arun Ramchandran Pillai's plea for interim bail on medical grounds. Pillai, implicated in the Delhi Excise scam, seeks an eight-week bail for medical treatment. The court listed the case for a hearing on June 10.

The Delhi High Court on Monday called for a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) concerning Hyderabad businessman Arun Ramchandran Pillai's interim bail request on medical grounds. The businessman's plea comes in the context of his arrest in a money laundering case tied to the alleged Delhi Excise scam.

A vacation bench, led by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, issued notice to the ED, urging the agency to authenticate the medical reports provided by Pillai. The court instructed the ED to submit a reply to the interim bail application along with a verification report, scheduling further proceedings for June 10.

Pillai, who has been in ED custody since March 2023, seeks an eight-week interim bail citing medical reasons, including severe back pain. He claims that medical practitioners at an Ayurvedic clinic in Kerala recommended a 21-day 'Panchakarma Therapy' followed by an additional 21 days of bed rest. Pillai's arrest is linked to accusations that he was involved with the 'South Group,' a cartel of liquor businessmen and politicians accused of paying kickbacks to the ruling AAP government for favors connected to the 2021 excise policy, which was subsequently scrapped.