A Delhi court on Monday allowed the CBI to interrogate a jailed businessman, arrested in connection with the alleged excise policy scam, inside Tihar Jail as the agency claimed some new information have come to light.
Special Judge M K Nagpal allowed the agency to quiz Amandeep Singh Dhall inside the jail where he is currently lodged in judicial custody.
The agency sought the court's permission claiming that "some fresh evidences have surface which require further examination of the Dhall to unearth the conspiracy hatched between the accused in relation to the excise case".
The court allowed the agency to visit the jail premises to record his statement any day this week.
The CBI had examined Dhall in the case earlier also.
Dhall is executive director of Brindco Sales Private Limited and was arrested on March 1, 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the Excise case.
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Brindco is a major importer and distributor of a variety of liquor brands and related beverages.
According to an FIR lodged by the CBI, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionary Vijay Nair, Manoj Rai, Dhall and Sameer Mahandru were actively involved in framing and implementing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22.
The ED's money-laundering case stems from the CBI FIR in which former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is currently in CBI custody.
In its second chargesheet filed in the case, the ED had appended the statement of another accused, Arun Pillai, who claimed that Dhall "had a good grasp of the Delhi liquor market and knew all the minute details of the (excise) policy changes".
"Aman (Dhall) explained to them how the market will work and how to use the loopholes introduced in the policy to their advantage...," the ED said.
The ED has filed two chargesheets or prosecution complaints in the case so far and arrested 10 people, including Dhal.
The excise policy was scrapped in August last year and the Delhi lieutenant governor subsequently asked the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities and corruption involving government authorities, bureaucrats and liquor traders, among others.
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