Delhi excise ‘scam’: Court takes cognisance of ED’s supplementary charge sheet

PTI, Feb 2, 2023, 7:04 PM IST

A court here on Thursday took cognisance of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against five individuals and seven companies in connection with the alleged Delhi excise scam.

Special Judge M K Nagpal summoned the accused persons — Vijay Nair, P Sarath Chandra Reddy, Benoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally, Amit Arora — on February 23.

He also directed the representatives of the accused companies — Trident Chemphar Ltd, Sri Avantika Contractors (I) Pvt Ltd, Organomix Ecosystems Pvt Ltd, Pernod Ricard India Pvt Ltd, KSJM Spirits LLP, Buddy Retail (TI) Pvt Ltd and Popular Spirits Pvt Ltd – to appear before the court on the next date.

”This court is of the considered opinion that there are sufficient grounds and material to proceed further in the matter against all the twelve accused being prosecuted through this supplementary complaint as they all, either directly or indirectly, are found to have attempted to or indulged in or knowingly assisted or have been a party to or actually involved in the process or activities connected with proceeds of crime generated through the above scheduled offences case, including its concealment, possession, acquisition, use and projection or claiming it to be untainted properties,” the judge said.

The ED had filed the charge sheet through its Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta in the money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam also involving Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

The federal agency, however, did not name Sisodia as accused in the case, and told the judge that further investigation is going on in the mater.

The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 has now been scrapped after allegations of irregularities in its implementation.

This is the second prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed by the federal investigative agency in this case, registered under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The first was filed in November last year.

A total of 12 entities, which include people arrested by it in the case till now, have been named in the latest charge sheet, sources said.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had also named Sisodia as an accused among others. The CBI had raided the premises of the deputy chief minister and some Delhi government bureaucrats after filing the case.

The excise scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in its implementation. The LG had also suspended 11 excise officials.