Excise scam: Supreme Court agrees to hear plea challenging grant of interim bail to YSR Congress MP’s son

Regular bail, as well as interim bail based on the wife’s illness, were both denied, according to the ASG

Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Supreme Court agreed to hear on June 9 a plea challenging grant of 15-day interim bail to Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, by the Delhi High Court.

A vacation bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal took note of the submission by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, who sought an urgent hearing.

The ASG said regular bail has been rejected and interim bail on grounds of wife’s sickness has also been denied.

“Now suddenly mother-in-law slips in bathroom and she is under observation. There is nothing serious. His father is an MP who can look after her. Three siblings are there to take care and despite that the high court has granted bail,” he said while seeking stay of the order.

The top court said it will hear the matter on June 9.

The high court on June 7 granted interim bail to Magunta after taking note of the submission that his mother-in-law has been hospitalised.

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

The trial court had said it was not satisfied with the claimed history of Magunta's wife's ailment as nothing special or serious was stated about her condition in the documents placed before it.   Other family members of the accused can also take care of his wife, the court had said, adding Magunta has not contended that nobody from the family was available to discharge the liability.

According to the CBI and the ED, which are probing the cases against senior AAP leader and former Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Magunta and others, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

The Delhi Government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

Sisodia is also an accused in the cases lodged by both CBI and ED and is currently in jail.