Liquorgate: ED files supplementary chargesheet against Arun Pillai, Amandeep Dhal
Apr 27, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 27 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary chargesheet (Prosecution Complaint) against Amandeep Singh Dhal and Arun Ramchandra Pillai in connection with a money laundering case related to irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy.
This is the third supplementary chargesheet filed in a money laundering case related to the Excise case.
The chargesheet has been filed by Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta in the court of Special Judge MK Nagpal.
The chargesheet will be taken for consideration on Friday, sources told ANI.
In the ED case, Businessman Amandeep Singh Dhal was arrested on March 1 and Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested on March 6, 2023.
According to the ED, Aman Singh Dhall, a Delhi-based businessman has conspired with other persons and is actively involved in the formation of policy and facilitating kickbacks to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its recoupment by the South Group through various means
Arun Ramchandra Pillai a Hydrabad-based businessman was arrested by ED for allegations that he collected the bribes from another accused, Sameer Mahendru, managing director of lndospirit and handed it over to the other accused.
The ED and the CBI have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval.
The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
An alleged, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.
This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
