New Delhi(India), 25 November 2022: CBI has filed the first charge sheet against 7 people regarding the Delhi Excise Policy scam. The court is to take a hearing on November 30.
The Delhi Excise Policy Scam has been in the news for the past some time now. On fresh news, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed its first Chargesheet in the Court in regard to the Delhi Excise Policy scam. The Chargesheet is filed against the seven people who were accused of the scam, according to the sources.
Among the seven accused are the names of the two businessmen, a named head of a news channel, a liquor businessman from Hyderabad, a liquor distributor based in New Delhi, and two officials of the Excise Department.
In the list are Aam Aadmi Party’s Communications strategist Vijay Nair, Mootha Gautam who is the Managing Director of Ahead News, Kuldeep Singh, and Narendra Singh who are the former Deputy and Assistant Commissioner of The Excise Department, New Delhi. Abhishek Boinpally, the Hyderabad-based businessman who is said to be the “South lobby” in the Excise Scam is also named in the list. Businessman Sameer Mahendru and Arun R. Pillai are also on the list.
According to the officials, all the people accused have been charged under Criminal Conspiracy (Section 120-B) of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act for the exchange of bribery.
“It was further alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in excise policy, extending undue favors to the licensees, waiver/reduction in license fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval, etc. It was also alleged that Illegal gains on the count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties by making false entries in their books of accounts,” read the Chargesheet filed by the CBI today.
Manish Sisodia Excluded
The Deputy Chief Minister of New Delhi, Manish Sisodia who is also under the eyes of CBI in connection with the scam was excluded from the list of names filed in the charge sheet today. Notably, the Central Bureau of Investigation lodged an FIR against Sisodia along with others on 7 August 2022 in regard to the Excise Scam. After this, there were a series of raids conducted at the Deputy Chief Minister’s home by the Central Agency. Manish Sisodia was also summoned by several times by the CBI. Manish Sisodia is the Excise Minister in Delhi and is accused of taking bribes from liquor businessmen.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to tweet about Mr. Sisodia’s exemption from the list accusing the whole case is “fake”. He also mentioned the raid that was conducted at the Deputy Chief Minister’s home and that nothing was found in the raid. The Aam Aadmi Party officials have often seen accusing the Central Agencies of being under the influence of orders from the Central Government and the ruling National Party BJP.
The CBI officials said that investigation against Mr. Sisodia is still underway.
CBI hints ‘Larger Conspiracies’
The Central Bureau of Investigation in its official statement has hinted at ‘larger conspiracies’ in the Delhi Excise Policy Scam, according to India Today. The officials said that the searches which were conducted at several locations in the county had led to the recovery of ‘incriminating documents and articles, digital records, etc. CBI officials stated that the investigation will be on the role of the officials in the formation of the Excise Policy which was taken back later, a larger conspiracy with licensees, the money trail, and cartelization in New Delhi.
The Chargesheet which was filed today in the Rouse Avenue Court comprised 10,000 pages. The Court has set a hearing for the same on November 30.
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