Excise policy 'scam': SC grants bail to ex-AAP functionary Vijay Nair in PMLA case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to former AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying liberty is "sacrosanct".
Relying on the legal principle of "bail is rule and jail is exception" cited by a coordinate bench, the top court said pre-trial incarceration cannot be a punishment.
A bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti noted that Nair has been in jail for the last 22 months in the money laundering case where the maximum punishment is seven years.
On August 12, the bench had sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the bail plea of Nair.
Nair, who was arrested by the agency on November 13, 2022, had challenged the trial court's July 29 order dismissing his default bail plea.
On July 3 last year, the Delhi High Court had refused to grant bail to Nair and other co-accused in the money laundering case.
The money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR which was lodged after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a probe into the alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mangaluru police flag fake ‘sea breeze marathon’ Instagram campaign, urge public caution
Mangaluru: Police have flagged a fake marathon campaign being widely circulated on Instagram under the name “Sea Breeze Marathon” and warned the public against falling prey to a suspected cyber fraud network.
The purported post, which began circulating on April 3, claims to offer prize money of Rs 2.51 lakh for a 5 km race, Rs 3.5 lakh for a 10 km race, and Rs 5 lakh for a 21 km race. It also urges participants to register in advance. However, officials have clarified that no such marathon has been organised in Mangaluru.
The poster also promises to provide participants with free sports shoes, goodies bags and refreshments, in order to lure people.
Police suspect that the poster is part of a cyber fraud attempt designed to lure users into registering through fraudulent links.
Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy cautioned that registering through such links could lead to mobile phone hacking and financial loss.
The campaign is also being amplified through a viral video featuring songs from popular movies, along with visuals of people participating in marathons, allegedly sourced from existing footage, giving the content a sense of authenticity and misleading people.
When Vartha Bharati conducted a reverse image search, the video was traced back to marathons held in Mumbai, further confirming that the circulating content is not related to any event in Mangaluru.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Commissioner Reddy confirmed that the campaign is fake and that no organisation has approached authorities seeking permission for conducting a marathon, including traffic or road clearances.
“So far, no complaint has been lodged, and no victim of the campaign has been reported,” he said.
