A team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials has reached Tihar Jail to interrogate Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with money laundering case pertaining to excise policy scam, sources said on Friday.
The central agency is currently conducting raids at more than 40 locations across India.According to the sources, raids that started early on Friday morning, are underway in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi-NCR and Nellore.
ED's case is based on the FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).The CBI has made Sisodia accused number one in its FIR lodged under sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) and 477-A (Falsification of accounts) of the IPC.
The allegations against Sisodia is that liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore.The licence holders were allegedly given extension according to their own will. The policy rules were made by violating excise rules.
As per the FIR, the liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore by Sisodia and the licence holders were given extension as per their own will.It also said that Sisodia and a few liquor barons were actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees to public servants, who have been accused in the case.
"Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, the 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 approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender," read the FIR, which has been accessed by IANS.