Supreme Court grants bail to Ajay Kumar Nayyar over prolonged custody and slow trial progress.
Nayyar is accused of impersonating Amit Shah’s nephew to cheat a businessman of Rs 3.9 crore.
Lower courts had earlier denied bail due to the seriousness of the fraud and fears of witness tampering.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Ajay Kumar Nayyar, who has been accused of impersonating the nephew of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and duping a businessman of Rs 3.9 crore. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi observed that Nayyar had remained in custody for over four years, while the prosecution had made negligible progress in completing the trial. Although charges were framed in 2022, the court noted that only the first of the 34 listed prosecution witnesses had been cross-examined so far.
According to investigators, Nayyar allegedly promised the complainant a government tender worth Rs 90 crore for supplying leather for the renovation of the President’s Estate, claiming he could secure the deal owing to his supposed high-level political connections. Believing the claim, the complainant transferred Rs 3.9 crore through cash and bank transactions. Suspicion grew when the tender did not materialise, prompting a police complaint and Nayyar’s arrest in December 2021.
Both the trial court and the Delhi High Court had earlier rejected his bail pleas, citing the gravity of the allegations, the possibility of adding more serious forgery-related charges, and concerns that Nayyar could influence witnesses. The Supreme Court, however, concluded that continued incarceration was unjustified, especially since the maximum punishment for the current charges is seven years and the trial is progressing at an unreasonably slow pace.
With the order, Nayyar will be released while the trial continues, though he is expected to comply with conditions restricting travel and communication with witnesses.
