The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The court also scheduled May 15 for further arguments on framing of charges in the case.
Both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have asserted that irregularities occurred during the modification of the Delhi Excise Policy. They allege that undue favors were bestowed upon license holders, with license fees either waived or reduced, and licenses extended without proper approval from the competent authority.
According to the probe agencies, the beneficiaries purportedly diverted ‘illegal’ gains to the accused officials and falsified entries in their accounting records to avoid detection.
Sisodia was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, for his purported involvement in the ‘scam.’ Following this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Sisodia in connection with a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI’s FIR on March 9, 2023. Sisodia had resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
Sisodia has been in custody since February 26, 2023, after arrest by the CBI. Thereafter, he was arrested by the ED. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS Leader K Kavitha were also arrested in the excise policy case.
The ED and the CBI had 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, the probe agencies said.
As per the allegations, 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, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer.