Tag: Excise

Excise policy scam: Bizman Abhishek Boinpally moves Delhi HC for bail

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New Delhi: Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court against the trial court’s order denying him bail in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Counsel representing Boinpally contended that his client is in custody since October 2022.
The plea was, however, opposed by the ED saying that it lacks maintainability.
A bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma posted the matter for the next hearing on April 20, after hearing the arguments.
Boinpally was a Director of Anoos Electrolysis & Obesity Pvt. Ltd, Anoos Health & Wellness Pvt. Ltd., Robin Distribution LLP, Agasti Ventures, SS Mines & Minerals, Master Sand LLP, Neoverse Realty Pvt. Ltd., Zeus Networking Pvt. Ltd and Valuecare Esthetic Pvt. Ltd.
On February 16, four others – Vijay Nair, Sarath Chandra Reddy, Sameer Mahendru and Benoy Babu – were also denied bail by Special Judge, Rouse Avenue Courts, M.K. Nagpal, who held that the method adopted by the five of them for committing the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) makes up for sufficient incriminating evidence.
As the ED has already made serious allegations of tampering evidence against them, the court had said that it will also be not possible to hold that the accused persons will not try to tamper with the evidence in the case if they are released on bail.
“Keeping in view the totality of facts and circumstances and the above discussion, this court is of the considered opinion that none of the applicants/accused deserves to be released on bail in this case at this stage of proceedings as the allegations made against them are quite serious and relate to commission of an economic offence of money-laundering defined by Section 3 and made punishable by Section 4 of the PMLA. Hence, their bail applications are being dismissed,” the court had said.

On Monday, the court also extended Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai’s ED custody by three days in the case.
He was arrested on March 6 after hours of questioning in the case.
Judge Nagpal sent Pillai to ED custody on March 7, which expired on Monday.
His arrest makes up for the 11th arrest made in the matter by the ED.
The ED has alleged that Pillai was involved in forming a cartel (now called South Group) of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers which controlled more than 30 per cent of the liquor business in the national capital.
The central agency named the said cartel, South group, which includes BRS leader K. Kavitha, Sarath Reddy, the promoter of Aurobindo Pharma, YSRCP MP from Ongole, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta and others.
The South group was represented by Pillai, Boinpally and Butchi Babu, the agency has claimed.
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#Excise #policy #scam #Bizman #Abhishek #Boinpally #moves #Delhi #bail
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 14, 2023
Excise policy scam: Delhi court to hear Sisodia’s bail plea today

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Delhi: A Delhi court is to hear on Friday the bail application of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case.
He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 after quizzing him for several hours.
Special CBI Judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Courts sent Sisodia to 14 days of judicial custody on March 6.
The CBI was given his remand for seven days before the judge sent him to judicial custody till March 20.
The judge had directed the CBI to file its response to the accused’s bail application by Friday.
It has been claimed by the accused that he had fully cooperated with the central agency during the probe.
He has stated that as all the recoveries have already been made, no fruitful purpose would be served by keeping him in custody and that the other accused persons arrested in this case have already been granted bail.
He has pointed out that he has held an important constitutional post and has deep roots in the society.

However, during the last hearing, the counsel appearing for the central agency said that at this stage, they are not seeking further CBI remand but in the next 15 days they might seek it.
In a twist, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also arrested Sisodia on Thursday in the same case.
The ED, on the eve of his bail hearing, questioned him in connection with the alleged kickbacks of Rs 100 crore which the AAP party/leaders received through hawala channel from the south group.
He was also asked about Arun Pillai and K. Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
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#Excise #policy #scam #Delhi #court #hear #Sisodias #bail #plea #today
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 10, 2023
Delhi excise policy: ED team reaches Tihar Jail to grill Sisodia again

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Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials have reached Tihar Jail to once again question former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.
According to the probe agency sources, they have permission to quiz Sisodia for three days.
Earlier, the ED had interrogated the AAP leader on the alleged kickbacks of Rs 100 crore which the party/leaders received through hawala channel from the South Group.
He was also asked about Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai and K. Kavitha — daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Sisodia was arrested on February 26 by the CBI and later remanded in judicial custody by Rouse Avenue District Courts.
His bail plea is pending before the court which will be taken up on March 10.
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#Delhi #excise #policy #team #reaches #Tihar #Jail #grill #Sisodia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 9, 2023
Delhi excise case: ED summons Telangana CM KCR’s daughter K Kavitha

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Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has summoned K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on Thursday to record her statement in connection with its ongoing probe of the Delhi excise policy case, sources said.
Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) MLC Kavitha is learnt to be asked to depose before the investigators here at ED headquarters and record her statement.
As per sources, Kavitha will be confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was arrested on Monday night in the case.
In its investigation, ED has come to know that Pillai is one of the key persons in the entire scam involving payments of huge kickbacks and the formation of the biggest cartel of the South Group.
South Group comprises Telangana MLC Kavitha, Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MP, Ongole), his son Raghav Magunta, and others.
The South Group was being represented by Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli and Butchi Babu, the federal agency investigation has revealed.
Pillai along with his associates was coordinating with various persons to execute the political understanding between the South Group and a leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Pillai has been an accomplice and was involved in the kickbacks from the South Group and the recoupment of the same from the businesses in Delhi, ED investigation reveals.
The ED had earlier said that the South Group gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders.

Pillai is learnt to be a partner of 32.5 per cent in Indo Spirits, which had got an L1 licence. Indo Spirits is a partnership firm of Arun Pillai (32.5 per cent), Prem Rahul (32.5 per cent) and Indospirit Distribution Limited (35 per cent), wherein Arun Pillai and Prem Rahul represented the benami investments of Kavitha and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and his son Raghava Magunta.
Kavitha, who is a member of Telangana Legislative Council, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case in December last year.
ED, last year filed its first chargesheet in the case. The agency said it has so far undertaken nearly 200 search operations in this case after filing FIR after taking cognisance of a CBI case which was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials had said.
In October, the ED had raided nearly three dozen locations in Delhi and Punjab following the arrest of Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of Delhi’s Jor Bagh-based liquor distributor Indospirit Group, in the case and arrested him later.
The CBI too filed its first charge sheet in the case early this week.
The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.
The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
As per the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules.
Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.
This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
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#Delhi #excise #case #summons #Telangana #KCRs #daughter #Kavitha
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 8, 2023
ED makes 11th arrest in Delhi excise policy scam

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Delhi: In the latest development in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Arun Pillai. This is the 11th arrest made by the ED in the case.
Pillai was representing the South Group, which allegedly gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the AAP leaders that were allegedly used in the Goa elections.
The South Group was represented by Abhishek Boinpally, Arun Pillai and Buchi Babu. Boinpalli facilitated the transfer of Rs 100 crore kickback in connivance and conspiracy with Vijay Nair (Aam Aadmi Party’s communication in-charge) and his associate, Dinesh Arora.
A land parcel worth Rs 2.25 crore in Vattinagulapalle, Hyderabad, owned by Pillai was recently attached by the ED.
Pillai will be produced before Rouse Avenue District Courts later in the day. The ED is likely to seek his two weeks custodial remand.
On March 2, liquor businessman Amandeep Dhal, the director of Brindco Sales Pvt Ltd was arrested by the ED. His questioning led to the arrest of Pillai, said sources.
Dhal allegedly played a major role in the formulation, conspiracy and kickbacks paid by the south group. He had got a draft copy of the liquor policy before it was released. Dhal allegedly shared the draft copy with Binoy Babu. The ED has also alleged that he made arrangements of meeting between South Grop persons and Vijay Nair.
The ED has claimed in the supplementary charge sheet that Vijay Nair, on behalf of leaders of the AAP received kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore from the South Group, whose prominent faces are Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Raghav Magunta, Sarath Reddy and K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K, Chandrasekhar Rao.

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#11th #arrest #Delhi #excise #policy #scam
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 7, 2023
Sisodia confronted with his ex-Secy, former Excise Commissioner

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New Delhi: Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Saturday that during the questioning of Manish Sisodia in connection with the 2021-22 excise policy case, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi was confronted with his ex-secretary C Arvind, and former Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi.
Now the CBI will confront Sisodia with a few more witnesses in the case.
Meanwhile, Sisodia through his counsel said before the Rouse Avenue Courts on Saturday that Holi is a festival he wants to celebrate.
His counsel argued that Sisodia should be released so that he could celebrate Holi, after which he will surrender. However, the court was not convinced by this argument, as it extended Sisodia’s custody by two more days.
The CBI has already filed a chargesheet against seven persons in the case and it is all set to file a supplementary chargesheet in the matter.
The sources also claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also likely to arrest Sisodia as ED officials need to interrogate him.
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#Sisodia #confronted #exSecy #Excise #Commissioner
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 4, 2023
Manish Sisodia to be produced at Delhi court in excise scam case

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New Delhi: The former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam, will be produced before the Rouse Avenue District Court after the expiry of his custodial remand, sources said.
The source said that Sisodia will be produced by 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The sources have also claimed that they would further seek the custodial remand of Sisodia.
The CBI sources have claimed that the former Aam Aadmi Party Minister was still evasive and was not cooperating.
The central probe agency sources said that in January they seized a computer from the office of Sisodia. Later, it was learnt that files and other data were deleted from the computer. The CBI then sent the computer to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to retrieve the deleted files. Now the FSL has given them a report and retrieved the whole file deleted from the computer.
Apart from this, Sisodia was also confronted with the statement of an IAS official, who turned approver against him and got his statement recorded under section 164 of the CrPC.
A day after his arrest Sisodia resigned from his post. Satyendar Jain, who is currently in jail and was holding the Delhi Health Minister’s post also resigned along with him.
The CBI has alleged in the remand paper that Sisodia played a crucial role in the Delhi excise policy scam.

“The report of the expert committee in connection with excise policy was changed by Sisodia only to benefit a few liquor businessmen. This was also done as through accused Vijay Nair, they had collected Rs 100 crore from South Group being controlled by South India-based liquor businessmen and politician. They would be more benefited through the policy.”
“Payment of Rs 100 crore was done through hawala channel, which we have traced. We have learnt that between September and October 2021, Sisodia changed around 14 cellphones and four SIM cards. The purpose of changing the cell phone was nothing but to destroy the evidence. Devender Sharma, the secretary of Sisodia, had provided all these mobile phones, we have his statement in this respect,” said the source.
The CBI has already filed a charge-sheet against seven persons and they are all set to file a supplementary charge-sheet in the case.
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#Manish #Sisodia #produced #Delhi #court #excise #scam #case
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 4, 2023
Excise Policy Case: Manish Sisodia moves bail plea in trial court

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New Delhi: Former Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, who is presently in CBI remand, moved a regular bail petition in a trial court on Friday.
Sisodia was recently arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD.
According to the lawyer concerned, hearing on the bail plea will be held on Saturday. Sisodia is also scheduled to be produced on Saturday at the end of his remand period granted on February 27, 2023.
Rouse Avenue Court on Monday while sending Sisodia to CBI remand directed that the interrogation of the accused during the remand period shall be conducted at some place having CCTV coverage in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court and the said footage shall be preserved by the CBI.
Special Judge MK Nagpal on February 27, 2023, decided to send Manish Sisodia to CBI remand till March 4, 2023. Sisodia was arrested on Sunday in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD.
The court said, keeping in view the facts and circumstances, the accused is being remanded to CBI custody for a period of five days i.e. till March 4, 2023, for his further and extensive interrogation.
The court observed that the accused had joined the investigation of this case on two earlier occasions, but it has also been observed that he has failed to provide satisfactory answers to most of the questions put to him during his examination and interrogation conducted and has thus, failed to legitimately explain the incriminating evidence which has allegedly surfaced against him in the investigation conducted so far.
It is true that he cannot be expected to make self-incriminating statements, but the interests of justice and of a fair investigation require that he should come up with some legitimate answers to the questions which are being put to him by the Investigation officer.

Some of his subordinates are found to have disclosed certain facts which can be taken as incriminating against him and some documentary evidence against him has also already surfaced a proper and fair investigation requires that some genuine and legitimate answers to the questions being put to him about the same are to be found and hence, in considered opinion of this court, this can only be done during custodial interrogation of the accused, noted the court.
During arguments, CBI counsel told the court that the Delhi Deputy CM’s custodial interrogation is required for an effective investigation into the case. While seeking five days’ remand of Sisodia, CBI said, “Conspiracy was hatched in a very planned and secret manner.”
Meanwhile, senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for Sisodia and opposed the remand application of CBI.
“If someone is not willing to say something, that cannot be a ground for arrest,” argued Sisodia’s lawyer.
“What should I do with a phone that I changed? I am a minister, I cannot send it to a second-hand shop, it would have important data. CBI confronted me with the material but I did not confess. The remand application says I gave evasive replies. This cannot be a ground for remand. They search my residence on August 19, 2022. I hand over my phone. They called me to join the investigation and I joined. I cooperated,” Advocate Dayan Krishnan argued for Delhi Deputy CM.
The CBI on Sunday released a statement on Sisodia’s arrests, claiming he was giving evasive replies and wasn’t cooperating in the ongoing investigation of the liquor scam case.
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#Excise #Policy #Case #Manish #Sisodia #moves #bail #plea #trial #court
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 3, 2023
Delhi excise policy case: Court sends liquor businessman to 5-day ED custody

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New Delhi: A court here on Thursday sent liquor businessman Amandeep Dhall to five-day Enforcement Directorate custody for interrogation in a money-laundering matter related to the Delhi excise policy scam case.
Special Judge Vikas Dhull sent the accused to the agency’s custody after it produced him before the court and sought his custodial interrogation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the court that Dhall was required to be confronted with the other accused persons in the case to unearth the larger conspiracy and find out the money trail.
Dhall, the executive director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, was arrested on Wednesday night under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following his questioning, the agency said.
Brindco is a major importer and distributor of a variety of liquor brands and related beverages.
According to a FIR lodged by the CBI, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionary Vijay Nair, Manoj Rai, Dhall and Sameer Mahandru were actively involved in framing and implementing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22.
The ED’s money-laundering case stems from the CBI FIR, in which former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is currently in CBI custody.
In its second chargesheet filed in the case, the ED had appended the statement of another accused, Arun Pillai, who claimed that Dhall “had a good grasp of the Delhi liquor market and knew all the minute details of the (excise) policy changes”.

“Aman (Dhall) explained to them how the market will work and how to use the loopholes introduced in the policy to their advantage…,” the ED said.
The ED has filed two chargesheets or prosecution complaints in the case so far and arrested 10 people, including Dhal.
The excise policy was scrapped in August last year and the Delhi lieutenant governor subsequently asked the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities and corruption involving government authorities, bureaucrats and liquor traders, among others.
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#Delhi #excise #policy #case #Court #sends #liquor #businessman #5day #custody
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 2, 2023
Excise policy case: Delhi court defers passing order on Hyderabad-based auditor’s bail plea

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Delhi: A Delhi court has deferred passing of order on Thursday on the bail plea filed by Hyderabad-based CA Butchi Babu Gorantla, recently arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the liquor policy case.
The Special Judge M. K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Courts, on February 24, had reserved his order after hearing arguments in Gorantla’s bail plea from both sides and had listed it for hearing on Wednesday.
Gorantla, who is the former auditor of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter MLC K. Kavitha whose name has already been dragged into the case, was arrested by the CBI in the excise policy case on February 8.
According to the CBI, he was arrested for his alleged role in formulating and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy and causing wrongful gain to Hyderabad-based wholesale and retail licensees and their beneficial owners.
Recently, the court had also given permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to question Gorantla in judicial custody after the agency moved an application seeking permission to quiz him and to record his statement in the money laundering case pertaining to the Excise Policy.
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#Excise #policy #case #Delhi #court #defers #passing #order #Hyderabadbased #auditors #bail #plea

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 1, 2023