No PMLA case against Sisodia by ED?

New Delhi, Aug 24: Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday was reported to have registered a money laundering case against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and several others to probe charges of alleged irregularities in Delhi excise policy, top officials denied the move.

 

 

 

ANI news agency clarified stating the report was published after Additional Director Enforcement Directorate Sonia Narang confirmed on record about registering a money laundering case against Sisodia.

 

 

 

A case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was registered after the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the CBI and evidence revealed proceeds of crime generated through tweaking the Excise Policy, the report said. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is among the 15 individuals and entities named in the FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi government’s Excise Policy 2021-22. The FIR alleged Sisodia’s “close associates" — Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Pvt. Limited in Gurugram, Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey — were “actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees" to the accused public servants. Last week, the CBI carried out searches at 31 places including Sisodia’s residence and the premises of some bureaucrats, including Excise Commissioner A Gopi Krishna and two other Excise Department officials, and businessmen. The CBI raids took place a month after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a probe by the agency into the alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses in the implementation of the policy that came into effect on November 17 last year. Following the searches, the Centre suspended senior IAS officers A Gopi Krishna and Anand Kumar Tiwari, a DANICS officer, in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. While Krishna was the excise commissioner in the Delhi government, Anand Kumar was the deputy excise commissioner. Both the officials were named in the FIR filed by the CBI in the ongoing probe. The BJP has hit back stating that the claims made by Sisodia are an attempt to deflect the corruption charges against Sisodia. BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said AAP leaders will “play victim cards and several other cards" now to deflect attention from the corruption charges.

 

Also Read: CBI raids two RJD leaders' residence in 'land for job' scam 

 

Northeast Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari asked the AAP leader to name the person who made these offers from the party. He also tweeted in Hindi to raise questions about these claims: “Manish’s phone was taken by CBI. That is what he said. On whose phone did he receive the message or call? Reveal that person’s name and get his phone submitted to the CBI." Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that the AAP has “connections with the liquor mafia" and said Sisodia has failed to respond to the liquor scam in Delhi. He also denied Sisodia’s accusations and said, “The Aam Aadmi Party is a party of liars and whatever Manish Sisodia has said about the BJP is completely false. The BJP did not give him any offer.”