Next chargesheet to be filed against Sisodia, Arun Pillai, Amandeep Dhal: ED to Delhi court
Apr 17, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 17 : The Enforcement Directorate on Monday submitted in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court that they are filing the next chargesheet (prosecution complaint) against Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhal and Arun Ramchandra Pillai by the end of this month in connection with money laundering case related to irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy.
Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta appeared for ED and said that the next prosecution complaint will be filed soon against these three accused.
Meanwhile, Special Judge MK Nagpal on Monday extended the Judicial Custody of Manish Sisodia in the CBI case till April 27 and in the ED case till April 29, 2023. Sisodia was produced physically before the Court on Monday from Tihar, after the end of his judicial custody period.
In the ED case, businessman Amandeep Singh Dhal was arrested on March 1, Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia was arrested on March 9 and South-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested on March 6, 2023.
Manish Sisodia's bail in the ED case is already examined by the trial court and the hearing in this regard is listed for hearing on April 18, 2023.
Recently, Special Judge MK Nagpal had denied bail to Manish Sisodia the allegations made against Manish Sisodia are serious in nature and at this stage of the case, he does not deserve to be released on bail as he has been arrested in this case only on 26.02.2023 and investigation even qua his role has still not been completed, what to say about some other co-accused involved in the case whose roles are also yet being investigated.
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 Hyderabad-based businessman, was arrested by ED for allegations that he collected bribes from another accused, Sameer Mahendru 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 fee 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.
