Delhi liquor policy: ED conducts fresh raids at 40 location

The ED on Friday launched fresh raids at about 40 locations across the country as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy official sources saidThe searches are being conducted at premises linked to liquor businessmen distributors and supply chain networks in Nellore and some other cities in Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Tamil Nadu and DelhiNCR they saidThe action started early morning with agency teams being escorted by police personnel at the locations being searched by themThis is the second round of raids by the federal agency in this case after it first conducted searches on September 6 at about 40 locations across the country including that of some Punjab government excise department officersThe policy implemented from November 17 2021 was scrapped by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal government in July this year following a CBI probe recommended by Delhi LG V K Saxena into its implementationThe Enforcement Directorate ED case of money laundering in the excise policy stems from a CBI FIR in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and some Delhi government bureaucrats have been named as accusedThe CBI had conducted raids in the case on August 19 covering the Delhi residences of Sisodia 50 IAS officer and former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and 19 other locations across seven states and Union Territories Sisodia holds multiple portfolios in the Arvind Kejriwalled Delhi government including excise and educationAlso Read CBI rejects Manish Sisodias claim that said officer killed self under pressure to frame himThe ED is probing if alleged irregularities were done in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy and if some alleged proceeds of crime in terms of tainted money was generated by the accusedThe agency is also expected to question AAP leader and minister Satyendar Jain lodged in Tihar jail in connection with this case on Friday after it obtained permission from a local court to do soJain was arrested by the ED on May 30 in an another criminal case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA linked to alleged hawala dealingsThe liquor scheme came under the scanner after Delhi LG Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhis Excise Policy 202122He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matterSisodia too demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the policyThe CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretarys report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991Transaction of Business Rules ToBR1993 Delhi Excise Act2009 and Delhi Excise Rules2010 officials saidAccording to officials the chief secretarys report had shown prima facie violations including deliberate and gross procedural lapses to provide posttender undue benefits to liquor licensees through the policyIt is alleged that undue financial favours were extended to liquor licensees after the tenders were awarded causing loss to the exchequerThe excise department gave a waiver of Rs 14436 crore to the licensees on the tendered licence fee citing COVID19 sources had claimedThey added that it also refunded the earnest money of Rs 30 crore to the lowest bidder for the licence of the airport zone when it failed to obtain a noobjection certificate NOC from airport authoritiesIt was in gross violation of rule 4811b of the Delhi Excise Rules 2010 which clearly stipulates that the successful bidder must complete all formalities for the grant of the licence failing which all deposits made by him shall stand forfeited to the government a source saidThe Excise Policy 202122 formulated on the basis of an expert committee report was implemented on November 17 last year and retail licences were issued under it to private bidders for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zonesThe BJP on Thursday shared a sting operation video to claim that the AAP government framed its excise policy to help a select few and used the money earned through alleged corruption to fund its campaigns in Goa and Punjab assembly pollsIt showed the video at a press conference in which a person linked to liquor trade is claiming that the Kejriwal government deliberately kept smaller players out of its tailormade excise policy to help a few persons monopolise the marketThe AAP has refuted allegations of irregularities and corruption in the implementation of the Excise Policy 202122This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever