Delhi liquor scam: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against ED Assistant Director Pawan Khatri and others in a Rs 5 crore bribery case. This action by the CBI is in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Delhi liquor scam.
Other than Khatri, the case names liquor businessman Amandeep Dhall, assistant general manager of Air India Deepak Sangwan, the CEO of Claridges Hotels and Resorts Vikramaditya, chartered accountant Praveen Kumar Vats and two others -- Nitesh Kohar, a UDC in the ED, and Birender Pal Singh.
CBI action on ED complaint
According to CBI, the action was initiated on a written complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which during its probe into the Delhi excise policy scam found that Amandeep Dhall and his father Birender Pal Singh gave Rs 5 crore bribe to a chartered accountant.
The CBI said that initially Rs 3 crore in December 2022 and Rs 2 crore were given in January 2023 to one Praveen Vats for arranging help in ED in the ongoing investigation of the liquor case against Amandeep Dhall.
Vats told the ED that Sangwan, who works as Assistant General Manager in Air India, had introduced him to Khatri in December 2022. "Vats stated that of the amount received from Dhall, Rs 50 lakhs was given to Sangwan and Khatri as advance as demanded by them in mid-December 2022 at a parking place behind ITC Hotel in Vasant Vihar," the agency alleged in its complaint.
The ED referred its probe to the CBI, on the basis of which the central probe agency registered a case, they said.
Following the complaint, the CBI registered a corruption case against Khatri, Kohar, Sangwan, Vats, Vikramaditya Singh, Amandeep Singh Dhall and BP Singh for allegedly influencing ED's investigation in Delhi liquor policy case through bribes.
Case pending in court against Sisodia
The CBI first arrested Sisodia, the former Delhi deputy chief minister, and excise minister, on February 26 for his alleged involvement in the fraud. He has been in custody ever since. In the CBI case, the high court had already denied him bail on May 30.
In the ED's case, he was taken into custody on March 9 and is currently being held by the court. The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, yet rejected it toward the end of September 2022 in the midst of allegations of corruption.
The 849 liquor shop licenses were granted to private businesses through open bidding under the excise policy that took effect in November 2021. In the past, 475 liquor stores were owned by four government corporations, with the remaining 389 owned by private businesses. After Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended an investigation into the policy's formulation and implementation, the policy was withdrawn on July 30 of that same year.
The Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation have claimed that the excise policy was changed to guarantee a 12% net revenue for wholesalers and an almost 185% overall revenue for retailers.
Also Read: Delhi liquor scam: ED attaches assets worth over Rs 50 crore of Manish Sisodia, others
