NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet against seven accused including the then Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Assistant Commissioner of Excise, in connection with the alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy enforced in 2021.
Those named in the around-10,000-page chargesheet filed before special judge MK Nagpal, at Rouse Avenue Court, are Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Arun R. Pillai, Shri Mootha Gautham, Shri Sameer Mahendru, Kuldeep Singh and Narender Singh.
Kuldeep Singh was the then Deputy Commissioner (Excise) and Narendra Singh were the then Assistant Commissioner (Excise).
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has not been named in the chargesheet, though he was named in the FIR filed by the CBI. Sisodia had been by the CBI in connection with the case in October this year.
“Further investigations are on to find the role of those accused named and other persons on various allegations including conspiracies with other licensees, money trails, cartelisation and larger conspiracies in the formulation & implementation of the Excise Policy,” CBI sources maintained.
The case was registered on August 17, 2022, against Deputy CM Sisodia, who endorsed and implemented the policy in 2021, and others including then Commissioner (Excise), then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), then Assistant Commissioner (Excise), all of GNCTD, 10 liquor licensees, their associates and unknown persons on a reference from the Ministry of Home Affairs, related to alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD, Delhi.
It was further alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver and reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc. It was also alleged that illegal gratifications on count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties by making false entries in their books of accounts. Searches were earlier conducted at premises of the accused in various locations which led to the recovery of incriminating documents articles, and digital records among other things.
The CBI registered an FIR in August against Sisodia and 14 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of records), and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The FIR was lodged after Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Sisodia was the in-charge of the excise department at the relevant period when the policy was formulated and implemented.
It was alleged that the Excise policy, which was brought into effect in November last year, was influenced at the formulation stage to benefit certain businessmen, liquor distributors and traders. Following the registration of the case, the Delhi government had withdrawn the policy with effect from 31 July 2022.