ED searches multiple locations in Delhi excise policy money laundering case

Officials who didn’t want to be named said searches were going on private individuals and entities including liquor distributors, middlemen, licence holders etc., to collect evidence regarding money trail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out raids at over two dozen locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Telangana after registering a money laundering case in Delhi’s excise policy 2021-22, in which deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is named as primary accused, people familiar with the development said.

Manish Sisodia is likely to be named as accused in money laundering probe as well. (PTI Photo)

Officials who didn’t want to be named said searches were going on private individuals and entities including liquor distributors, middlemen, licence holders etc., to collect evidence regarding money trail, which will be the focus of ED’s probe under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The federal anti-money laundering probe agency has taken over the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) first information report (FIR) in the matter, which was filed on August 17 alleging irregularities in the excise policy.

In reaction to the raids being conducted by ED, deputy CM Sisodia said nothing will be found in the raids.

“Earlier the CBI conducted a raid in which nothing was found, even in the ED raid nothing will be found. It is all being done to stop the reforms being implemented by (CM) Arvind Kejriwal in education sector. They would not be able to stop it even after misusing the CBI and ED,” Sisodia said, slamming the BJP led central government. Sisodia accused the central government of misusing the CBI and ED.

When asked if ED was going to conduct raids at his residence as well, Sisodia said he did not have any information on that. “I have worked with honesty and even if they (ED) conducts a raid they may find building plans of some schools,” said Sisodia.

It has been alleged that Dinesh Arora, a close associate of Manish Sisodia, was paid ₹1 crore by Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Jor Bagh-based Indospirit Group apart from a payment of Rs2-4 crore to a Gurugram-based person.

The officials cited above said since ED has taken over CBI case, Sisodia would be named as accused in money laundering probe as well.

The federal agency has named total nine private persons – Dinesh Arora, Vijay Nair, Manoj Rai – former vice-president of liquor maker Pernod Ricard; Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Indospirit Group, a distributor; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales Pvt Ltd, a wholesaler; Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Private Ltd, a retailer; Sunny Marwah of Mahadev Liquors, a trading firm, also director in Ponty Chadha group firms; Telangana-based individual Arun Ramchandra Pillai; and Gurugram resident Arjun Pandey, in the case.

Besides Sisodia and three excise department officials - former excise commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, former deputy commissioner Anand Tiwari, and assistant commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar – have also been named.

The anti-corruption agency mentioned in its August 17 FIR that two payments – transfer of Rs1 crore by Sameer Mahendru (managing director of Indospirit Group) to Sisodia’s aide Dinesh Arora – and another payment of ₹2-4 crore by Mahendru to one Gurgram based Arjun Pandey on behalf of Vijay Nair, but officials say they are looking at other transactions as well. Nair is said to be associated with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for years.

Based on a reference from VK Saxena on July 20, forwarded to it by the ministry of home affairs (MHA), CBI FIR states that “Sisodia, Gopi Krishna, Tiwari and Bhatnagar were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority (the Lt Governor) with an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender”.

Other than LG’s complaint, CBI’s reliable sources, according to the FIR, have revealed that Vijay Nair, Manoj Rai, Amandeep Dhal and Sameer Mahendru “are actively involved in irregularities in framing and implementation of excise policy of Delhi government for the year 2021-22”.

“Source further revealed that some of the L-1 licence holders are issuing credit notes to retail vendors with an ab-intio intention to divert funds as undue pecuniary advantage to public servants. In furtherance to this, they are showing false entries in their books of accounts to keep their record straight,” CBI FIR added.

The Excise Policy 2021-22, formulated on the basis of an expert committee report, was implemented from November 17 last year and retail licences were issued under it to private bidders for 849 vends across the city, divided into 32 zones.