Tag: policy

Delhi excise policy case: ED likley to confront Sisodia with his PA today

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New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant (PA), Devender Sharma is likely to join the probe of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case on Saturday.
Sharma is likely to be at the probe agency office by 11 a.m.
There are possibilities that Sharma might be confronted with Sisodia. He was summoned on Friday by the ED.
The ED has already got five days more custody of Sisodia in the case. The ED had earlier told the court that during interrogation former Secretary C. Arvind, Excise Secretary Arava Gopi Krishna and Sanjay Goyal were confronted together.
The ED, while seeking more custodial remand of Sisodia, said that C Arvind had to be confronted again. Apart from him, the ED wants to confront witness Dinesh Arora and accused Amit Arora.
The ED has said that they have recovered huge cloud data which they were looking into. Apart from this, the agency also had to get details about the cell phones of all the accused which went missing.
The ED has as of now filed two charge sheets in the matter — a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet. They are all set to file a second supplementary charge sheet in the case.

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#Delhi #excise #policy #case #likley #confront #Sisodia #today
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 18, 2023
Excise policy scam: ED summons Sisodia’s PA to join probe

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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday summoned Devender Sharma, the personal assistant of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, for questioning in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy scam case.
Sharma has been asked to appear before the ED on Saturday by 10 a.m.
A source said there are probabilities of confronting him with Sisodia.
The ED has already got Sisodia’s custody for five more days.
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Sisodia’s family given 5 days to vacate official bungalow
The ED had earlier said in the court that during questioning, former Secretary C. Arvind, Excise Secretary Arava Gopi Krishna and Sanjay Goyal were confronted together.
The ED, while seeking more custodial remand of Sisodia, has said that C. Arvind had to be confronted again. Apart from him, the ED wants to confront witness Dinesh Arora, and an accused Amit Arora.

The ED has said that it has recovered huge cloud data which they were looking into. It also sought to know about the cell phones of all the accused which went missing.
As of now, the ED has filed two chargesheets in connection with the matter.
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#Excise #policy #scam #summons #Sisodias #join #probe
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 17, 2023
Saudi Arabia announces refund policy for domestic Haj pilgrims

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has revealed refund policies for those inside Saudi Arabia who have registered for Haj 2023, before or after issuing the permit.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that if the permit is not issued, domestic pilgrims who cancelled their registration before the 14th of Shawwal will be refunded the full amount.
In the event that the pilgrims refuse the Haj permit, the electronic services fees will be deducted.
However, 10 percent of the contract value will be deducted, in addition to the fees for e-services, from pilgrims who cancel their registration after the 15th of Shawwal and until the end of Dhul-Qada.
Any amounts paid after Dhul Hijjah 1 will not be refunded, the ministry confirmed.
According to the ministry, no refunds will be made after Dhul-Hijjah 1.
Pilgrims who, due to serious circumstances such as death, health conditions, criminal proceedings, or traffic accidents, need to be hospitalized or are infected with COVID-19 after Dhul-Hijjah 1, are exempted from the refund policy and their payment will be paid in full.
However, the authorities also clarified that acceptable proof of these reasons should be submitted along with the application for cancellation.

These concessions are also available to those whose Haj journey is cancelled due to any changes in current regulatory policies or health requirements.
Haj permit cancellation can be done through the Abshar platform and reservations can be cancelled through its website or the Nusuk app, the ministry said.
What is Haj?
The Haj pilgrimage to Makkah is a mandatory religious duty that must be performed by those Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in a lifetime.
The Haj 2023 is expected to start on June 26 and will take place without COVID-19 restrictions, which will allow for the number of pilgrims before the pandemic.
For the last two years, Saudi Arabia had reduced the number of Muslims allowed to perform Haj to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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#Saudi #Arabia #announces #refund #policy #domestic #Haj #pilgrims
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 17, 2023
Kavitha likely to skip ED probe in Delhi excise policy case

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New Delhi: K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who was all set to join the investigation of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with Delhi excise policy scam case, is likely to skip the summon.
Sources said that she gave a letter to the ED on Wednesday saying her issue was pending before the Supreme Court and hence she needs time.
During her first appearance, she was reportedly confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who had represented the South Group which allegedly gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to the AAP leaders allegedly used during the Goa Assembly polls.
Pillai has reportedly said that he was Kavitha’s associate.
On Wednesday, the ED recorded the statement of Buchchi Babu, the BRS MLC’s former auditor and also a member of the South Group.
Kavitha has maintained that she has never met former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been arrested by the CBI and the ED in connection with the case, claiming that her name was being unnecessarily dragged into the matter.
According to the ED, Kavitha is also one of the representatives of South Group in the excise policy case.

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#Kavitha #skip #probe #Delhi #excise #policy #case
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 16, 2023
K Kavitha to appear before ED in Delhi excise policy case today

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New Delhi: BRS MLC K. Kavitha is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in connection with the central agency’s probe into the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.
This will be her second appearance before the ED after she was grilled earlier on March 11.
Before joining the probe on Thursday, Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, will also hold a press meet at her home in the national capital.
A woman deputy director-level official will record her testimony under section 50 of the PMLA.
During her first appearance, she was reportedly confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who had represented the South Group which allegedly gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders allegedly used during the Goa Assembly polls.
Pillai has reportedly said that he was Kavitha’s associate.
On Wednesday, the ED recorded the statement of Buchchi Babu, the BRS MLC’s former auditor and also a member of the South Group.
There are possibilities that the central agency might confront Kavitha on Thursday with Buchchi Babu, according to sources.

Kavitha has maintained that she has never met former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been arrested by the CBI and the ED in connection with the case, claiming that her name was being unnecessary dragged into the matter.
According to the ED, Kavitha is also one of the representatives of South Group in the excise policy case.
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#Kavitha #Delhi #excise #policy #case #today
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 16, 2023
Kavitha’s ex-auditor joins ED probe in Delhi excise policy scam case

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New Delhi: Buchchi Babu, the former auditor of BRS MLC K. Kavitha, on Wednesday joined the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) probe in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.
Buchchi Babu was earlier arrested by the CBI in excise case.
He was later granted bail by a Special CBI court and is now being grilled by the ED.
Meanwhile, Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was grilled by the ED for eight hours on March 11 in connection with the case.
She is slated to appear for the second round of questioning on Thursday.
Last time, she was reportedly confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai, who had representing the South Group which allegedly gave ickbacks of Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders which were allegedly used in the Goa Assembly polls.
Pillai has reportedly said that he was an associate of Kavitha.

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#Kavithas #exauditor #joins #probe #Delhi #excise #policy #scam #case
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 15, 2023
Delhi liquor policy scam: K Kavitha moves SC over ED summons

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Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha and Telangana chief minister’s daughter moved the Supreme Court over the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons in connection with a money laundering case arising out of the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear her petition on March 24.
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#Delhi #liquor #policy #scam #Kavitha #moves #summons
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 15, 2023
UK minister Suella Braverman’s migration policy branded ‘racist’

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London: Britain’s Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman is facing increasing pressure over the government’s new plans to clamp down on illegal migration, with a former Home Office adviser branding the policy as “racist” and a former minister raising serious concerns in Parliament.
Nimco Ali, a one-time campaigner for the governing Conservative Party who left her job as a government adviser in December last year, told the Guardian’ that Goan-origin Braverman was “the wrong person not just for the Conservative party but for the country” as she makes the Tories seem “cruel and heartless”.
The child refugee from Somaliland was scathing in her criticism of the government’s failure to widen migration routes open to Ukrainians over the ongoing Russian conflict.
“As a former refugee of colour, if we can provide generous help to Ukrainians escaping war then I think we need to look at ensuring that we also provide routes to anyone escaping conflicts,” Ali told the newspaper.
“If we can find room for a white child but not a black child, who are coming here in similar circumstances, it is racist. It is really painful if we believe that people can seek refuge if they come from Europe but not elsewhere. If we can provide safe and legal routes for Ukrainians, we should do it for other people as well,” she said.
Ali, who is supportive of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, warned that he would not win the next general election with Braverman as his Home Secretary as he is in danger of losing younger and floating voters.
“Suella Braverman wants the government to look tough but it will instead make us look cruel and heartless, which I don’t think the PM is. I have a problem with her language. I believe that blaming lefty lawyers when they are challenging the law is dangerous. When she spoke about her dream of seeing a plane take off to Rwanda, it lacked compassion and understanding,” said Ali, with reference to the government’s migration pact with the African nation to house illegal migrants.
Her criticism came as former Tory home secretary Theresa May raised several concerns in the House of Commons about the proposed new Illegal Migration Bill, which has been tabled in Parliament to tackle the issue of thousands of migrants arriving on UK shores illegally via small boats.

“As it currently stands, we are shutting the door to victims who are being trafficked into (modern) slavery (in) the UK,” said May.
“Whenever you close a route for migrants the migrants and the people smugglers find another way. Anybody who thinks that this bill will deal with the issue of illegal migration once and for all is wrong,” she said.
During a debate in the Commons on Monday, Braverman referred to her predecessor in office, Indian-origin former home secretary Priti Patel, to claim all ethnic minority Home Office ministers have been subjected to “grotesque slurs” for simple truths about the impact of unlimited and illegal migration.
“Accusations that this government’s policies, which are backed by the majority of the British people, are bigoted, xenophobic or a dog whistle to racists are irresponsible and frankly beneath the dignity of this place. Politicians of all stripes should know better, and they should choose their words carefully,” said Braverman.
“Those who cast their criticism of the Bill in moral terms ignore certain truths. First, they ignore that we have a moral duty to stop the boats. People are dying in the channel. They are taking journeys that are unsafe, unnecessary and unlawful,” she said.
The debate over the new bill has also spilled over outside the political arena, as England football legend and BBC personality Gary Lineker likened the policies to 1930s Nazi Germany in a tweet. It unleashed days of disruption for the taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s sports coverage and has forced the BBC to review its social media policy in order to resolve the crisis.
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#minister #Suella #Bravermans #migration #policy #branded #racist
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 14, 2023
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
Liquor policy case: Kavitha to appear before ED today, BRS workers gather outside KCR’s residence

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Delhi: As Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha, is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate today for questioning in connection to the Delhi liquor policy case, the party workers and supporters have gathered outside the residence of KCR in the national capital.
Earlier on Friday, Kavitha launched a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in the national capital demanding the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the current Budget session of Parliament.
Citing her hunger strike scheduled in Delhi on Friday, she asked the probe agency to postpone her questioning till Saturday.
Notably, former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia has been arrested by ED in the same case.
She had arrived in the national capital on March 8, hours after the ED issued a summons for questioning.
BRS leader KT Rama Rao on Friday also arrived at the residence of his father in the national capital.
According to sources, Kavitha will be made to sit face-to-face with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was arrested in connection with the liquor policy case on Monday night.
The MLC termed the summons as “tactics of intimidation” by the Centre against the Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the BRS, adding that the party will continue to fight and expose the Centre’s failures and will raise its voice for a brighter and better future for India.
“I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM KCR, and against the entire BRS party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR Garu, we will continue to fight to expose your failures and raise voice for a brighter and better future for India,” Kavitha said in a tweet.

On March 8, the BRS came down heavily on the Centre after the ED summoned Kavitha in connection with its ongoing probe in the Delhi excise policy case, saying that the central probe agencies have become an extended arm of the BJP.
Referring to the summons as “politically motivated”, BRS leader Ravula Sridhar Reddy had said that except ED and BJP, nobody really understands the case registered in connection with the new-withdrawn new Delhi excise policy.
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 the Telangana Legislative Council, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case in December last year.
The excise policy was passed in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.
The CBI had filed a case against alleged corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy was subsequently withdrawn by the AAP government.
Sisodia was among 15 others booked in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers, some unknown public servants and private persons were booked in the case.
It was alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy and undue favours were extended to the license holders including waiver or reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc. (
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#Liquor #policy #case #Kavitha #today #BRS #workers #gather #KCRs #residence
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 11, 2023