The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday questioned managing director of India Ahead News and Andhra Prabha newspaper Mootha Gautam in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case.
Although he is not named as an accused in the FIR, another employee of the channel, Arjun Pandey, is named in the FIR as one of the alleged “close associates” of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The officials said that Gautam was called to the CBI headquarters in the morning and grilled on various aspects of the case, including some transactions. The agency also questioned Amit Arora, director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, listed in the FIR as one of the three close associates of Sisodia. He has been grilled earlier also in connection with the case, they said.Two days ago the CBI arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in connection with the case.
Boinpally, who was allegedly lobbying for certain liquor businessmen based in southern India, was called for questioning on Sunday and when the agency found him evading key questions it took him into custody.
Boinpally is also not named as an accused in the CBI FIR but his close associate and partner, Arun Ramchandra Pillai, is. The two founded Robin Distribution LLP in July this year, according to Registrar of Companies (RoC) database.
According to the FIR, Sisodia’s “close associates” — Amit Arora, 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.
The FIR claims, based on “source information”, that Sisodia and the accused public servants took decisions pertaining to the Excise Policy 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with “an intention to extend undue favours to the licensees post tender”.
“It was alleged that irregularities were committed including in modifications in the Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licensees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, extension of L-1 licence without approval, etc.,” the CBI’s spokesperson had said.
The CBI has alleged that Radha Industries managed by Dinesh Arora received Rs 1 crore from Sameer Mahendru of Indospirits.
“Source further revealed that Arun Ramchandra Pillai used to collect undue pecuniary advantage from Sameer Mahendru for onward transmission to the accused public servants through Vijay Nair.
A person named Arjun Pandey has once collected a huge cash amount of about Rs 2-4 crore from Sameer Mahendru on behalf of Vijay Nair,” the FIR has alleged.
The Excise Policy 2021-22, implemented on November 17, 2021, was withdrawn by the Delhi Government amid allegations of irregularities in its implementation. Out of 849 private vends issued licences under the policy, about 250 were functioning that closed down in September.