Highlight
- Two businessmen from South India – Sarath Reddy K and Binoy Babu were arrested
- Sources have also claimed that Babu and Reddy played a key role in the scam.
- Earlier, Dinesh Arora, a close aide of Manish Sisodia, had said that he wanted to become a government witness.
Delhi Liquor Policy CaseThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested two businessmen from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 money laundering case.
Sources said one of the two arrested is the head of a pharma company.
According to sources, two businessmen from South India – Saratha Reddy K. And Binoy Babu was arrested. Both will be produced in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court later in the day. ED is all set to take his custody remand.
Sources have also claimed that Babu and Reddy played a key role in the scam.
Earlier, Dinesh Arora, a close aide of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, had said that he wanted to become a government witness in the case.
So far four arrests have been made in this case.
“Reddy runs Aurobindo Pharma firm while Babu Pernod runs a record firm. He is a businessman from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” the source said.
The CBI has named Sisodia as accused number one in its FIR. The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 477-A (forgery of accounts). Sisodia is accused of allegedly giving a discount of Rs 30 crore to the liquor traders. The license holders were reportedly given extensions as per their wish. Policy rules were made in violation of excise rules.
It also stated that Sisodia and some liquor traders were actively involved in managing and converting the public servants accused in the case to the undue pecuniary benefits recovered from the liquor licensees.
“Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), and Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) were instrumental in recommending and deciding the relevant decisions. Excise policy for the year 2021-22 with intent to give undue advantage to the licensee post tender without the approval of the competent authority,” read the FIR.
,IANS. with inputs of,