New Delhi (The Hawk): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday detained two additional people in relation to the Delhi excise policy scam.
Two South Indian businessmen, Sharath Reddy K. and Binoy Babu, were reportedly detained, according to sources. Later on in the day, both will be presented before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court. The ED is prepared to ask for their involuntary remand.
Additionally, sources assert that Babu and Reddy were key players in the scheme.
Dinesh Arora, a trusted adviser to Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, has before declared his desire to be a case approver.
Four people have been arrested in relation to the case so far.
"Babu manages the Pernod Ricord company, whereas Reddy is in charge of Arvindo Pharma. They are businesspeople from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh "added the source.
Sisodia is now the primary suspect in the FIR filed by the CBI. The FIR was filed in accordance with IPC sections 477-A (Falsification of Accounts) and 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy). Sisodia is accused of giving liquor industry executives an exemption worth Rs 30 crore. The licence holders allegedly received extensions at their discretion. By breaking excise laws, the policy regulations were created.
Additionally, it claimed that Sisodia and a few other liquor barons were actively involved in controlling and transferring the unlawful financial benefit obtained from liquor licences to the accused state officials.
"Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then commissioner of excise, Anand Tiwari, the then deputy commissioner of excise, and Pankaj Bhatnagar, assistant commissioner of excise, were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to the excise policy for the year 2021-22 without approval of the competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licensee post tender," the report states.
(Inputs from Agencies)