Delhi excise policy case: CBI requests to close LOC against businessman Dinesh Arora, he withdraws plea

New Delhi [India], June 8 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed the Rouse Avenue Court that it has written to immigration authorities requesting to withdraw/close the LOC issued against businessman Dinesh Arora who has become an approver in the Delhi Excise policy case.
Thereafter, he withdrew his plea seeking withdrawal of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him when he was an accused in the Delhi Excise policy case. After becoming approver he has sought withdrawal of LOC.
Special judge M K Nagpal after noting the submission of CBI and the counsel for the accused dismissed the plea as withdrawn.
The CBI informed the court that it had requested the Immigration authorities to withdraw the LOC against him.
The investigation agency also placed on record a letter of June 7 written by SP CBI to the Deputy Director, Immigration, Bureau of Immigration, requesting withdrawal/closure of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against the applicant.
It was also submitted by the IO present in court today that the same may be withdrawn/closed within two/three days
In view of the submissions of the CBI, advocate Rishabh Kumar Thakur, Counsel for Dinesh Arora, sought to withdraw the application. The court allowed the same.
The Rouse Avenue court has directed the IO to inform it once the LOC is withdrawn.
The Court on June 5, questioned the CBI when a person is no longer an accused how can a Look Out Circular (LOC ) be continued against him.
Special judge M K Nagpal while hearing the application pulled up the CBI and asked, "Under which provision LOC can be continued?"
"Better you withdraw it, if the court passes an order, it will pass it with stricture," the judge said.
The additional public prosecutor (APP) for the CBI submitted that the LOC is continued to ensure the presence of Dinesh Arora.
The court asked, "How long you (CBI) will keep the LOC continued?"
The court asked the IO of CBI and advocate RK Thakur to furnish the guidelines governing the issuance and withdrawal of LOC.
The court was informed by counsel R K Thakur that Dinesh Arora is to travel to the Netherlands on June 15 to join his wife and younger son. His elder son studied there.
In November 2022, the Court had allowed Businessman Dinesh Arora, an alleged aide of Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, to turn approver in the alleged excise policy case.
Businessman Dinesh Arora, earlier an accused in the Delhi excise policy case had submitted that "I am ready to make true disclosure voluntarily about the case and wants to be an approver in the case."
Earlier, He said, "I am ready to make a voluntary and true disclosure with respect to my role in the commission of the alleged offences. I have also cooperated in the investigation of the case by CBI and have made true statements before the Investigation officer. I have also made a confessional statement before the ACMM regarding facts and events pertaining to the commission of alleged offences."
A few days ago, the same court granted anticipatory bail to Dinesh Arora after CBI didn't oppose the bail plea in the case.
The Court noted that CBI in its reply against the anticipatory bail plea, stated that the applicant has supported the investigation and disclosed certain facts which are vital for the investigation; hence, the CBI has no objection if the anticipatory bail is granted to the applicant by this court.
Court further noted that, though, from the contents of the reply filed by CBI, no immediate apprehensions about the arrest of the applicant, in this case, appear to be made out, but still, keeping in view the fact that the applicant is one of the accused who are named in FIR and further keeping in view the fact that he is stated to have made some statements before the Investigation Officer (IO) which are self-inculpatory in nature.
In August 2022, CBI registered a case in the Excise Policy scam and issued a Lookout Circular (LOC) against eight private persons named as accused in the Excise Policy case.
Among the accused, public servants are Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the then Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.
The others are Manoj Rai, a former employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Indospirit Group; Buddy Retail and its director Amit Arora, Dinesh Arora, Mahadev Liquors, its authorised signatory Sunny Marwah and Arjun Pandey.