Excise policy case: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia among 15 named as accused in CBI's FIR

Besides Sisodia, Delhi government Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers along with unknown public servants and private persons have also been booked by the CBI in the case.

New Delhi: Delhi's Deputy Chief and senior AAP leader Minister Manish Sisodia, whose residence was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday, is among the 15 persons named by the central probe agency in its FIR in connection with an alleged excise policy case. According to reports, Delhi government Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers along with unknown public servants and private persons have also been booked by the CBI in the case.

A liquor trader paid Rs 1 crore to a company managed by an associate of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the CBI has claimed in its FIR on alleged corruption in the framing and implementation of the excise policy 2021-22, according to news agency PTI.

What are the allegations?

The FIR was registered on a reference from the office of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena routed through the Union Home Ministry. The agency alleged that Sisodia and other accused public servants recommended and took decisions pertaining to the excise policy 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with "an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender".

Who all are named in the FIR?

News agency ANI also shared a copy of the FIR filed by CBI which said, “The aforementioned facts prima facie disclose the commission of offences punishable under section 120-B, 477A IPC and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (As amended in 2018). A total of 15 persons have been named in the FIR including Sisodia for criminal conspiracy, falsification of account and undue advantage.”

Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia among 15 persons booked by name in FIR filed by CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers along with unknown public servants & private persons have too been booked in the case (addresses omitted, previous tweet had personal information) pic.twitter.com/44L12CmHNn — ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2022

Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, the then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise), Vijay Nair, former CEO, Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company, Manoj Rai, Ex-Employee of Pernod Ricard, Amandeep Dhal, Director, Brindco Sales Pvt. Ltd, Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director, lndospirit Group are among those named in the FIR.

Other names which are included in the FIR are Amit Arora, Director, Buddy Retail Private Limited, Buddy Retail Private Limited, Dinesh Arora, Mahadev Liquors, Sunny Marwah, Authorised Signatory, Arun Ramchandra Pilla, and Arjun Pandey. Other known public servants and public persons have also been mentioned in the FIR.

CBI raids multiple locations

The CBI on Friday conducted raids at multiple locations, including Sisodia’s residence, in connection with Delhi’s Excise Policy row. The searches were conducted in seven States and a Union Territory, including the premises of former Delhi Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna under whose tenure, the revamped Excise Policy was approved.

It may be recalled that on July 30, Sisodia announced a rollback of the Excise Policy stating that only government outlets would sell liquor in Delhi from August 1. It is alleged that liquor businessmen were allegedly given an exemption of Rs 30 crore, licence holders were allegedly given extensions according to their own will, and the policy was made by violating excise rules.

(With Agency Inputs)