ED has not registered case against Manish Sisodia in excise policy row, clarifies top agency official
Aug 23, 2022
New Delhi [India, August 23 : Enforcement Directorate's top official on Tuesday denied that the agency has filed a money laundering case against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia after an Additional Director in the probe agency had said that a case had been filed over the Delhi Excise Policy which is being probed by CBI.
The clarification came soon after Additional Director Enforcement Directorate Sonia Narang confirmed to ANI on record that a money laundering case had been filed against Manish Sisodia.
The CBI had filed a case against over alleged corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy was subsequently withdrawn by the AAP government.
CBI had last week carried out searches at Sisodia's official residence and carried out raids at several other places in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy.
Searches were conducted in seven States and a Union Territory, including the premises of former Delhi Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna.
Sisodia is among 15 persons booked in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers along with some unknown public servants and private persons have been booked in the case.
The FIR said that "facts in the matter prima facie disclose the commission of offences" punishable under section 120-B, 477A IPC and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988" against the accused.
The premises of the then Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and Anand Tiwari were among those searched.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against eight accused - all private persons - in connection with the CBI case for alleged irregularities in the excise policy.
It was alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy and undue favours were extended to the license holders including waiver or reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc.
It was further alleged that illegal gains on the count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties and making false entries in their books of accounts.
The raids have led to a political slugfest with BJP leaders including Union Minister Anurag Thakur hitting out at Kejriwal and Sisodia over alleged "liquor corruption". AAP has termed the allegations as politically motivated.
