Delhi Excise Scam: ED Files Second Chargesheet Against 5 People, 7 Companies, Says Report

In relation to the Liquor Excise Policy, the Enforcement Directorate filed a second chargesheet at Rouse Avenue Court. An investigation into the involvement of the people named as accused is underway.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet against five individuals and seven organisations in a money laundering case concerning the alleged Delhi excise policy scam involving Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday, news agency PTI reported. 

The ED, on the other hand, did not name Sisodia as an accused in the case and informed the bench that further investigation is underway, as per the report. 

The report was submitted to Special Judge M K Nagpal, who will hear the case on Saturday.

Following claims of irregularities, the 2021-22 policy has now been withdrawn.

Vijay Nair, Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally, and Amit Arora are among those listed in the charge sheet. Apart from five people, seven companies have also been named in the chargesheet. 

The latest chargesheet names a total of 12 entities, including persons arrested by it in the case up to this point, PTI reported citing some sources. 

The ED officials and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) of the case filed the chargesheet in the Rouse Avenue Court's registry department.

The ED previously informed Special Judge MK Nagpal that the additional chargesheet to be submitted on January 6, 2023, would be a common chargesheet against all apprehended accused in connection with the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam money laundering case.

The First Charge Sheet Filed By The Enforcement Directorate: 

This is the federal investigative agency's second prosecution complaint (charge sheet) in this matter, registered under several sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The first charge sheet was made in November of last year.

The chargesheet was filed against businessman Sameer Mahendru as the necessary 60-day timeframe expired today. On September 27th, the ED arrested businessman Sameer Mahendru for the first time in this case.

Currently, the Court is hearing five bail petitions filed by businessmen Sharath Reddy, Sameer Mahendru, Binoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally, and Vijay Nair.

Amit Arora, the sixth accused, is also in judicial custody in the case.

The money laundering case stemmed from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR in which Sisodia, among others, was listed as an accused. Following the filing of the complaint, the CBI raided the premises of the deputy chief minister and some Delhi government bureaucrats.

After Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena requested a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, the excise plan came under scrutiny. In addition, the LG suspended 11 excise officials.

(With Inputs From Agencies)