Supreme Court cuts short interim bail granted by HC to Raghav Magunta

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday modified the Delhi High Court order, which granted 15-day interim bail to Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Justice Rajesh Bindal did not cancel the bail granted to Raghav, however it asked him to surrender on June 12, instead of June 22.

At the outset, additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), argued that the interim bail was a ploy on the part of Raghav to stay out of jail. Raju said his regular bail was rejected by a special court and then he attempted at interim bail, where he cited his wife's sickness, which also failed because as soon as the high court ordered evaluation in the matter, he withdrew his application. Raju argued that now he has filed for interim bail for maternal grandmother and stressed that she just had a fall and it is not serious, there are people to look after her.

Senior advocate Amit Desai, representing Raghav, contended that her sickness had been verified by the ED itself. Raju emphasized that in the high court it was made to appear that his paternal grandmother was in the hospital, however, as per records, his paternal grandmother had already passed away.

Desai said grandmother includes paternal and maternal and his client never claimed anyone else, and she is very old and there is no one to look after her.

During the hearing, Raju said falling in the bathroom has become a trend and also referred to the fall of Satyendar Jain in the bathroom, while insisting that these are tricks to get interim bail because Raghav could not get regular bail.

After hearing submissions, the top court said the purpose for Raghav’s release could be served by June 12. “We accordingly modify the order to direct that interim bail be till 12 June 2023 as he has already been enlarged on bail on 7 June 2023,” said the bench.

The top court was hearing a plea by the ED against the high court order. The ED had arrested him in February 2023 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam case.

On Wednesday, the high court granted interim bail to Magunta after noting that his maternal granmother has been hospitalised. Magunta is an accused in the Delhi excise policy money laundering case.

The trial court had earlier declined to grant interim bail saying that it cannot be ignored that the accused was being prosecuted for money laundering which is a serious economic offence.

The CBI and ED are investigating the case against senior AAP leader and former Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Magunta and others, claiming that there are irregularities, which were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders. Sisodia, who is an accused in the case, is currently in jail.

In November 2021, the Delhi government implemented the excise policy, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.