Trouble has mounted for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as the latter’s close aide Dinesh Arora, who is also a co-accused, told the court on November 7, that he is ready to turn approver in the Delhi excise policy case or the Liquor scam case.
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s alleged close aide Dinesh Arora turns approver for CBI in the Delhi #LiquorPolicyScam case.
— LawBeat (@LawBeatInd) November 7, 2022
Earlier today, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an application in Delhi Court under Section 306 Crpc to make businessman Dinesh Arora a witness in the ongoing money laundering investigation into suspected anomalies in the now defunct excise policy.
During the hearing today, Dinesh Arora sought pardon in the case and said he has made the confessional statement under Section 164 (Recording of confessions and statements) of the CrPC.
Asked if there is any pressure from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Arora replied in the negative. “I am ready to give voluntary disclosure about my involvement in the alleged offences. I have earlier cooperated during the investigation of the case by the CBI. I am doing this without any pressure or undue influence upon me by the CBI or any other person,” said Arora.
The Rouse Avenue Court will record Arora’s statement on November 14 at 10:30 am. As per the court, due to the sensitivity of the matter, the case will be heard in-camera.
Notably, in the FIR filed by the CBI, the agency said that Amit Arora, Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey were “close associates” of Manish Sisodia, and were actively involved in managing and diverting the money collected from liquor licensees. Delhi DY CM and AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia is the prime accused in the case.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), co-accused Sameer Mahendru transferred Rs 1 crore to Radha Industries’ bank account, which is managed by Dinesh Arora.
All the accused persons including Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Arora were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of accounts) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Notably, Arora was recently granted anticipatory bail by the trial court after the CBI did not contest his bail request. The court stated in its order that the businessman had cooperated in the investigation and divulged certain facts critical to the investigation, and hence the central agency had no issue to his being granted bail.
ED questions PA of Manish Sisodia in liquor scam case
Meanwhile, in another development in the case, on Saturday, November 5, Enforcement Directorate questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant. According to the reports, the ED officials also conducted raids at Sharma’s residence.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) listed Sisodia as an accused in an FIR filed in August over suspected anomalies in the Delhi liquor policy. On August 19, the CBI raided 31 locations around the country, including Sisodia’s home. While Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it was an effort to coerce Sisodia and other MLAs into joining the BJP and destabilizing the government, the BJP denied the allegations.
The CBI summoned the Delhi minister for interrogation last month. Following this, Sisodia had claimed that after nine hours of questioning, he was forced to quit AAP and that the case against him was intended to ensure the success of ‘Operation Lotus’.
However, the CBI later published a statement rejecting Sisodia’s accusations, claiming that he was examined only on the charges in the First Information Report and the material gathered throughout the investigation. The excise scheme came under scrutiny when the Delhi LG proposed a CBI investigation into potential anomalies in the execution of Delhi’s Excise Policy 2021-22. In addition, the LG suspended 11 excise officers.
