The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted fresh raids in multiple locations across Delhi, Punjab and Hyderabad, in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.
The searches were conducted in 35 locations. So far, the ED has conducted over 100 raids, and arrested liquor businessman Sameer Mahandru in the case.
The scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. In its FIR recently, the CBI named AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as an accused. The CBI also arrested businessman and AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair, in connection with the excise policy case. A special court in New Delhi on October 6 sent Vijay to judicial custody for 14 days.
The Excise Policy 2021-22, formulated on the basis of an expert committee report, was implemented on November 17 last year and retail licences were issued under it to private bidders for 849 vends across the city, divided into 32 zones. It was scrapped by the Arvind Kejriwal government in July this year following the LG's recommendation for CBI probe. The LG had also suspended 11 excise officials in connection with the case.
Responding to the raids on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said hundreds of raids by central agencies to find evidence against his deputy Manish Sisodia have yielded nothing as he didn't do anything. Time of hundreds of sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation is being wasted for "dirty politics", he said.
- with PTI inputs
