The Supreme Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond within two weeks to a bail application filed by Vijay Nair, the media in-charge for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Nair has been detained in Tihar Jail for 23 months in connection with the ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the Delhi liquor policy scandal.
During the Supreme Court hearing, Nair’s legal counsel argued that his prolonged incarceration warranted bail, emphasizing that Nair’s previous bail requests had been denied by both the lower court and the Delhi High Court. Nair is now challenging the High Court’s decision at the Supreme Court level.
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Nair contends that he was merely the media and communications head for AAP and had no role in the formulation or execution of the excise policy. He claims that his detention is politically motivated and that the allegations against him are unfounded. Nair has also asserted that his arrest on November 13, 2022, was unjust and driven by external factors.
It is noteworthy that Nair has previously secured bail in a separate CBI case related to the Delhi liquor policy scam. He is identified as the fifth accused in the FIR filed by the CBI and is alleged to have connections with several companies implicated in the scam, including Only Much Louder, Bubblefish, and Motherswear. The case also involves prominent comedian Vir Das. Nair, who once contributed to AAP’s events as a comedian, served as the party’s media in-charge for several years.
