CBI names 7 as accused in first charge sheet

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed its first charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy scam and named seven persons as accused, including two former Excise Department officials.

The CBI has chargesheeted Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally, Sameer Mahendru, Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Mootha Gautham, and two government officers -- the then Deputy Commissioner of Excise Department Kuldeep Singh and then Assistant Commissioner of Excise Department Narender Singh. The charge sheet was filed before the Rouse Avenue Court. In the coming days, the CBI can file a supplementary charge sheet against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. 

"Arun Ramchandra Pillai used to collect undue pecuniary advantage from Mahendru for onward transmission to the accused public servant through Vijay Nair. Arjun Pandey once collected a huge cash amount of about Rs 2-4 crore from Mahendru on behalf of Nair," the CBI has alleged in the charge sheet.

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 allegation against Sisodia is 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. It also said that Sisodia and a few liquor barons were actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantages collected from liquor licensees to the public servants, who have been made 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 the excise policy for the year 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensees post tender," read the FIR. As of now, the CBI has made two arrests in the case.