CBI summons Manish Sisodia in Delhi excise policy scam

Two months after registering an FIR in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, asking him to join the investigation at 11 am on Monday at their headquarters in Delhi. Before summoning him, the CBI had conducted a search at Sisodia’s house and also opened his bank locker.

“CBI raided my house for 14 hours. My bank locker was searched, but they did not find anything. They did not find anything in my village either. Now they have called me to the CBI headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and cooperate fully. Satyamev Jayate,” Sisodia tweeted on Sunday.

The AAP leader is among the 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi government’s Excise Policy 2021-22.

So far, the CBI has arrested three persons, Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Indospirit Group; Vijay Nair, former CEO of entertainment and event management company Only Much Louder; and current communications in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally. Boinpally is not named as an accused in the CBI FIR pertaining to the case, but his alleged associate Arun Ramchandra Pillai is.

The FIR was lodged on August 17 after Delhi Lt-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, putting Sisodia, in charge of the excise department, directly in the line of fire. Following this, the Delhi government announced it was withdrawing the policy. The Lt Governor’s recommendation followed a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. The report, which officials said was submitted on July 8, alleged that undue benefits were provided to liquor vend licenses.

The FIR stated: “Praveen Kumar Rai, Director, MHA… has conveyed directions of the competent authority for inquiry into the matter of irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD of Delhi for the year 2021-22 by Central Bureau of Investigation. He has also forwarded a letter from L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena alleging irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy. The OM is enclosed herewith, which discloses that Manish Sisodia, Deputy CM; Arava Gopi Krishna, then Commissioner (Excise); Anand Tiwari, then Deputy Commissioner (Excise); and Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favors to the licensee post tender.”

“Apart from the above, reliable sources have revealed that Vijay Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company; Manoj Rai, ex-employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, owner of Brindco Spirits; and Sameer Mahendru, owner of Indospirit, are actively involved in irregularities in framing and implementation of excise policy,” the CBI said in its FIR.

“Source further revealed that some of the L-1 license holders are issuing credit notes to retail vendors with an ab-initio intention to divert the funds as an 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. Source further revealed that Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Pvt Limited, Gurgaon; Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey are close associates of Manish Sisodia and are actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees to the accused public servants,” the CBI’s FIR alleged.

“Source further revealed that Sameer Mahendru, MD, Indospirit, has transferred an amount of one crore to the account of Radha Industries. Radha Industries is being managed by Dinesh Arora. Source further revealed that Arun Ramchandra Pillai used to collect undue pecuniary advantage from Sameer Mahendru for onward transmission to the accused public servants through Vijay Nair. A person named Arjun Pandey has once collected a huge cash amount of about Rs 2-4 crore from Sameer Mahendru on behalf of Vijay Nair.”

“Source has further informed that Mahadev Liquors, a proprietorship firm, was granted an L-1 license. Sunny Marwah is the authorized signatory of the firm. He is also a director in companies/firms being managed by the family of the Late Ponty Chadha. Source has informed that Sunny Marwah is in close contact with accused public servants and has been regularly giving undue pecuniary advantage to them,” the FIR said.

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