Delhi Excise Policy Case: ED Releases Manish Sisodia's Aide After 10 Hours Of Questioning

After nearly ten hours of questioning, he was freed. According to Devendra Sharma's father, Bal Kishan Sharma, the ED team took Devendra with them at about 10 a.m.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia

Source : PTI

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) released Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's personal assistant Devendra Sharma after 10 hours of questioning on Saturday. He was led out of the back door, according to sources. The probe agency questioned Sisodia's PA in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy.

The agency questioned Devendra Sharma and recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

According to Devendra Sharma's father, Bal Kishan Sharma, the ED team took Devendra with them at about 10 am on Saturday.

Earlier, in a tweet, Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia claimed that the investigation agencies had filed a "false" case against him and that the ED had raided his PA's home and "arrested" him.

इन्होंने झूठी FIR कर मेरे घर रेड करवाई, बैंक लॉकर तलाश लिए, मेरे गाँव में जाँच कर ली लेकिन मेरे ख़िलाफ़ कहीं कुछ नहीं मिला
आज इन्होंने मेरे PA के घर पर ईडी की रेड करी वहाँ भी कुछ नहीं मिला तो अब उसको गिरफ़्तार कर के ले गये है.

भाजपा वालो! चुनाव में हार का इतना डर..

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) November 5, 2022

So far, the ED has undertaken many raids in this matter. It arrested Sameer Mahandru, the general director of Indospirit, a liquor production firm, in September.

The money laundering allegation derives from a CBI FIR that listed Sisodia among others as an offender. Following the filing of the complaint, the CBI raided the offices of the deputy chief minister and certain Delhi government employees.

In July, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requested that the CBI investigate suspected anomalies in the execution of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22.

According to the ED and the CBI, irregularities were committed while altering the Excise Policy, disproportionate favours were offered to licence holders, the licence price was waived or reduced, and the L-1 licence was prolonged without the agreement of the necessary authorities.