In a latest development in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has lodged a Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) case and is likely to summon all accused for questioning, sources said on Tuesday.
ED sources have confirmed that the PMLA case was registered after taking legal opinion from the department concerned.
The ED case in the matter is based on the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
It has been alleged that the money was laundered through different routes and by using a number of entities to make transactions legal.
"The laundered money was further layered into multiple accounts to make it genuine," the ED sources said.
In coming days, the ED can summon all the accused mentioned in the FIR of the CBI to join the investigation and get their statements recorded under section 50 of PMLA.
The ED has now come into action in the case and the sources said that they wanted to gather documentary and digital evidence to make their case watertight.
Delhi Excise Scam: ED raids 30 locations pan-India
As part of its ongoing probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids at multiple locations across the country in connection with the Delhi Excise policy scam case.
According to sources, the raids are being conducted at more than 30 locations excluding Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's house.
"We are conducting raids in Lucknow in UP, Gurugram in Haryana, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and other locations. The searches, which started early this morning, are underway," they said.
The ED case is based on the FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI has made Sisodia accused number one in its FIR. The CBI's FIR has been lodged under sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) and 477-A (Falsification of accounts) of the IPC. The allegations against him are that liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore. The licence holders were allegedly given extension according to their own will. The policy rules were made by violating excise rules.
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Besides, it has also alleged the liquor businessmen were given exemption of Rs 30 crore, while the licence holders were given extension as per their own will.
It also said that Sisodia and a few liquor barons were actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees to public servants, who have been accused in the case.
"Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, the then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), and Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender," read the FIR, which has been accessed by IANS.
