Excise case: HC refuses to extend interim bail of Sameer Mahendru

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to extend the interim bail on medical grounds of liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

The high court directed Mahendru to surrender before the jail authorities on May 1, and said the practice of granting interim bail cannot be converted into an “evergreening process” or making it a substitute of regular bail.

As the counsel for Mahendru submitted that he has to undergo surgery for which the tentative date of May 5 has been given by the doctor, the court directed the jail authorities to take the accused to the doctor concerned on May 4.

“The petitioner, if required and advised by the doctor, may get admitted in the hospital. Guards of jail authorities shall be deployed there. The wife and minor children of the petitioner shall be given access to meet him and assist him. Food as per medical advice shall be given to him,” Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said. The high court also asked the doctor concerned to submit a report after the surgery regarding the time to be taken for post surgery care. It said if the doctor says surgery is not required to be performed on Mahendru, he shall be taken back to prison and in case, the surgery is conducted, he shall remain admitted in the hospital till May 15, when the court will again hear the matter.