New Delhi, Dec 21: Dinesh Arora, a businessman who was named as accused in the Delhi excise policy scam FIR, was asked by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh to collect funds for the Delhi elections, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheet.
The ED has stated in its chargesheet that Dinesh Arora was allegedly also close to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and was working closely with him and Vijay Nair.
According to the charge sheet, “He (Dinesh Arora) initially met Sanjay Singh through whom he came in contact with Manish Sisodia during a party at his own restaurant, namely Unplugged Courtyard. On request of Sanjay Singh, he spoke with many of the restaurant owners and arranged cheques amounting to Rs 82 lakh (handed over to Sisodia) for collection of party funds for upcoming elections in Delhi.” The financial probe agency has also alleged that Sanjay Singh resolved an issue with Dinesh Arora which was pending with the excise department. “He (Dinesh Arora) also stated that Amit Arora, retail license holder of Sarthak Flex, had told him and Kanwarbir to be partners in the JV of Sarthak Flex. Amit asked him for help in shifting the shop from Pitampura to Okhla as the matter was pending with the excise department. Accordingly, he raised that issue with Sisodia, and on the directions of Sanjay Singh, the matter got resolved by the excise department,” read the ED chargesheet. Dinesh Arora, according to ED, also met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the residence of Sanjay Singh.
The charge sheet further read, “The agenda of the meeting that took place at Oberoi Maidens, Delhi, wherein Sh Dinesh, Sh Vijay Nair, Sh Arun Pillai, and K Kavitha were present, was to discuss the Delhi liquor business and the issue of recovery of advance kickbacks paid to Vijay Nair.”