Tag Archives: delhi court

Delhi court allows 7 Ukrainian, US nationals in NIA case to travel abroad for a month

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A Delhi court has allowed a US national and six Ukrainian nationals facing an NIA investigation to travel to their respective home countries for a month, after granting them default bail and releasing their passports.

Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma of the Rouse Avenue Courts permitted American national Matthew Aaron VanDyke to travel to the US and the six Ukrainians to travel to Ukraine to meet their families. The court directed all seven to return to India after one month and inform the court within 72 hours of their return.

The order comes as the National Investigation Agency continues its investigation into alleged offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), while a chargesheet filed earlier this month accused the seven only under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

Court cites fundamental right to travel

The court said the right to travel abroad is an extension of a fundamental right under the Constitution. It also noted that the accused had expressed their willingness to cooperate with the NIA investigation whenever required.

As conditions for travelling, the seven must provide their residential addresses, working phone numbers and email addresses to the NIA within 24 hours. Those without functioning phone numbers can initially provide a family member’s number and must provide their own working number within a week of reaching their destinations.

They must also join the NIA investigation through video conference or physically whenever directed by the agency.

UAPA investigation remains open

The seven were arrested on March 13 and were initially booked under Section 18 of the UAPA. According to the NIA’s case, they had allegedly entered restricted areas in Mizoram, crossed into Myanmar and interacted with ethnic armed organisations, including groups banned in India. The allegations have not been established at trial.

The NIA subsequently filed a chargesheet under Sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, covering alleged illegal entry and visa-related violations. The agency has maintained that its investigation into the UAPA allegations is continuing and that the absence of UAPA charges from the current chargesheet does not mean that the broader probe has been closed.

The six Ukrainian nationals were also discharged from the immigration-related offences after paying a ₹5.5 lakh penalty, while VanDyke’s lawyers have sought his discharge from the immigration offences after their compounding.

The latest court order therefore allows the seven to leave India temporarily while keeping them subject to the ongoing investigation and the condition that they return after one month.

Kejriwal, Sisodia absolved by Delhi Court in liquor case, Kejriwal in Tears; Complete List of Discharged

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On Friday, a court in Delhi ruled that there are no charges against former Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 other individuals accused in the Delhi excise policy scandal. The decision condemned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and cast doubt at the way the case was conducted.

Special Judge Jitender Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court held that no conspiracy or criminal intent went into the excise policy and that the case brought before the prosecution was mere guesswork. There were no charges the judge made against the 23 accused.

The judge was clear. He claimed that the investigation of the CBI was very problematic. The indictment was very long and had numerous holes and failed to correspond with the accounts given by witnesses. A large portion of it was deceptive and unsubstantiated.

On Kejriwal in particular, the court ruled that there was no concrete evidence that he had done it. According to the judge, it is incorrect to accuse a person in a constitutional position without sufficient evidence, which is against the rule of law.

Sisodia 530 Days in Jail For Nothing

The longest serving jailer, Manish Sisodia, was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023 and by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9, 2023. It took him 530 days in jail when the Supreme Court released him on bail in August 2024.

The court did not get anything to demonstrate that Sisodia was involved in the creation or execution of the excise policy. He did not spend any money on the government. According to the judge, the CBI was not even in a position to construct a simple case against him.

The court as well directed a departmental inquiry of the work of CBI officer due to errors committed in the course of investigation. This is a big warning that demonstrates that the judge is concerned not only with this particular case.

Kejriwal Melts Down: ‘Truth Has Triumphed’

Kejriwal was also emotional in talking to reporters outside the court. He added that the court had dismissed any form of charges leveled against him and his party. He said the truth wins. He alleged that BJP had plotted against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and had arrested the 5 top leaders of the party.

“For the past few years, the way BJP has been accusing us in the Delhi excise policy case, today the court has rejected all the allegations levelled against us. We have always said that the truth wins. PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah conspired against AAP and arrested the party’s five biggest leaders. They wanted to finish AAP. A sitting chief minister was arrested. This had never happened in India,” he said, as reported by PTI.

He continued: “We were accused and called corrupt in every channel. Kejriwal is not corrupt. I have only earned honesty. The court has said today that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are honest. Court order proves Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party are kattar imaandar [dead honest].”

Before being granted bail by the Supreme Court on September 13, 2024, Kejriwal had spent 56 days in custody.

The government of Delhi adopted a new excise policy in 2021. It assured an increase in revenue and increase in participation of the private in the sale of liquor. The policy was subsequently revoked following complaints by individuals that it had irregularities. The CBI was then investigating on the request of Lt. Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena.

The ED and the CBI reported that the policy was established to assist a group of private consumers known as the South Group. According to them, AAP leadership received kickbacks, and the people money was lost. All the accused have refuted these claims.

Complete List of the Discharged

Other names that were exonerated with Kejriwal and Sisodia included Kuldeep Singh, Narender Singh, Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Arun Pillai, Mootha Gautam, Sameer Mahendru, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Arjun Pandey, Butchibabu Gorantla, Rajesh Joshi, Damodar Prasad Sharma, Prince Kumar, Arvind Kumar Singh, Chanpreet Singh, K. Kavitha, Durgesh Pathak

What Happens Next?

The CBI will probably petition in the High Court of the discharge order. This implies that the battle against the law might not be over despite the decision in the court Friday. This ruling is a milestone to the AAP. Arrests and trials that took three years, five top leaders in the jail, a chief minister in jail all overturned by a court that discovered the evidence as unconvincing. Whether this will be the end of the case or the case will be taken to a superior court is yet to be determined.

Delhi court orders probe into Rs.800 Crore bank scam, involving PSBs

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A new bank scam has come into light before a Delhi court which on Tuesday ordered a court-monitored investigation. The scam involving among other public sector banks, the State Bank of India, runs into Rs 800 crore, allegedly involving an infrastructure company director.

The FIR in this regard was registered by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani Chauhan of Saket District Court, heard an application filed by complainant Vaibhav Jalan against Gaurav Jalan, Director of JKM Infra Projects Ltd and ordered the probe.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the accused allegedly created fictitious invoices and transferred the money from the company accounts to shell companies’ accounts, but no effective investigation has been carried out by the Investigating Officer and the complainant was not called for purpose of the probe in the last ten months.

Taking note of the submissions, the court directed the EOW to file a status report seeking the investigation carried out by it in the last 10 months and what investigation has been conducted on the discrepancies highlighted by a forensic audit of the company.

It also noted the apprehension that the accused may flee the country to evade the process of law. The matter will be further heard on November 11. (IANS)