The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted nationwide searches in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the alleged excise scam in Delhi in which Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is the prime accused.
Besides Sisodia, some bureaucrats have also been named as accused in the alleged scam related to the now scrapped Delhi excise policy.
The agency searched about 30 premises in Delhi, Telangana, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka and the operation covered private individuals named in the case, officials said. They said Tuesday’s search operation did not include premises linked to Sisodia or any other Government servant named in the case.
The ED initiated a probe in the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR that has named Sisodia and 14 others as accused in the case. Reacting to the raids, Sisodia said he has nothing to hide and did his job honestly. “First the CBI conducted raids, they found nothing. Now, the ED is conducting raids, they too won’t find anything,” he said.
Sisodia added, “They will only find more blueprints of schools.”
Later addressing a press conference, AAP spokesperson Saurav Bhardwaj said that after the CBI’s clean chit Dy CM Sisodia has received a clean chit from the ED too.
“Several reporters from various news channels were stationed at Manish Sisodia’s residence after getting a tip from the ED; however, the ED officers ditched the plans of raiding his residence,” Bhardwaj said.
The AAP leader said that the ED understood that they will become a laughing stock in front of the entire country if they raided the Deputy Chief Minister’s residence because they were aware that they will come back empty handed just like the CBI.
The CBI had conducted searches in the case on August 19, covering the Delhi residences of Sisodia (50), IAS officer and former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and 19 other locations across seven States and Union Territories.
Sisodia holds multiple portfolios in the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government, including excise and education.
The ED is probing if alleged irregularities were done in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought out in November last year.
The scheme came under scrutiny after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recently recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi excise policy.
Saxena had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter.
Sisodia had also demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the policy.
The CBI inquiry was recommended on the findings of the Delhi chief secretary’s report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010.
During its probe, the ED will analyse if individuals and companies that were involved in the policy-making of this scheme and related entities generated any “proceeds of crime under the definition of PMLA” and if there was any possible creation of illegal or benami assets.
The chief secretary’s report had shown prima facie violations, including “deliberate and gross procedural lapses”, to provide post-tender “undue benefits to liquor licencees” through the policy.
Undue financial favours were allegedly extended to liquor licencees after the tenders were awarded, causing loss to the exchequer. The excise department gave a waiver of Rs 144.36 crore to the licencees on the tendered licence fee on the excuse of Covid-19, according to the CBI FIR.