Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, March 9: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday began the second round of questioning of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at the Tihar Jail in connection with an ongoing investigation into the Delhi Excise Policy.
Delhi liquor scam | An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team arrived at Tihar Jail in Delhi to question AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. The questioning has begun.
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/QHc1g747QI
— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2023
On Tuesday, ED questioned Manish Sisodia for about five hours and recorded his statement.
The probe agency has also made a fresh arrest in the case as it took custody of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai.
The ED has summoned Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha for questioning on Thursday.
Manish Sisodia is currently in judicial custody after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court sent him to Judicial Custody till March 20.
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Last year, the ED filed its first chargesheet in the case. The agency has so far undertaken nearly 200 search operations in this case after filing FIR after taking cognisance of a CBI case which was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
In October, the ED had raided nearly three dozen locations in Delhi and Punjab following the arrest of Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of Delhi’s Jor Bagh-based liquor distributor Indospirit Group, in the case and arrested him later.
The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority`s approval. The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
