New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday (October 7) started searches at about 3 dozen places in Delhi (Delhi), Punjab (Punjab) and Hyderabad (Hyderabad) in connection with Delhi’s excise policy case of 2021-22. The raids were being conducted since the arrest of Sameer Mahendru, a liquor distributor from Delhi’s Jor Bagh and managing director of Indospirit Group. Sameer Mahendru has been arrested by the CBI.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, then Excise Commissioner Arwa Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar are accused in the alleged excise scam. Apart from this, there is a long list of accused. Both the CBI and the ED have registered a case against Manish Sisodia.
ED-CBI
In the case, the ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while revising the excise policy, undue favours were given to licence holders, licence fees were waived or reduced and l-1 licences were allowed to be extended without the competent authority. It is being told that the Enforcement Directorate team is conducting search operations at 35 places in connection with the money laundering case related to Delhi’s liquor policy scam.
Delhi CM Kejriwal questions action
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has questioned the ED’s action by tweeting. “More than 500 raids, more than 300 CBI and ED officials have been engaged 24 hours for 3 months – one to find evidence against Manish Sisodia. Nothing is available because nothing has been done. The time of so many officers is being wasted for their dirty politics. How will such a country progress?”
ED action for the third time in nearly a month
The ED had raided 40 locations in six states on September 16. Earlier, on September 6, the ED had raided the premises of many states. At the same time, one of the accused in the case and Aam Aadmi Party’s communication strategist Vijay Nair has been sent to CBI custody till October 20 by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.