Delhi: CBI books ED assistant director, CEO of Claridges Hotels in excise policy case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against ED Assistant Director Pawan Khatri in connection with an alleged bribery of Rs 5 crore by liquor businessman Amandeep Dhall who wanted help in the Delhi excise policy scam case, PTI reported citing officials.

Moreover, it has also named assistant general manager of Air India Deepak Sangwan, CEO of Claridges Hotels and Resorts Vikramaditya, chartered accountant Praveen Kumar Vats and two others -- Nitesh Kohar, a clerk in the ED, and Dhall's father Birender Pal Singh, they said.

After the registration of the FIR, the CBI has conducted searches at six locations on the premises of the accused. Neither of the accused ED officers were part of the excise scam case probe but during the searches, materials related to the case were recovered from them, the report further stated citing sources.

It is to be noted that the CBI action was initiated basis a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which alleged that Singh had paid Rs 5 crore bribe to Vats in tranches of Rs 50 lakh from December 2022 onwards to help Dhall in the excise policy case. The case has been registered by the probe agency under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

During the probe into the alleged excise scam, the officials said, the ED received information about massive bribe exchanges in the name of senior agency officers to influence the case.

What is the Delhi excise policy?

The policy was formed on the basis of an expert committee report and was implemented from November 17, 2021. Under the new policy, 849 liquor vends were awarded to private companies through open bidding. The city was divided into 32 zones, each with a maximum of 27 vends. Instead of individual licences, bidding was done zone-by-zone.

Delhi’s LG VK Saxena recommended the CBI probe on July 22, 2022 into the alleged rule violations and procedural flaws in the implementation of the excise policy. A report by the Delhi chief secretary in July showed prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) 1993, Delhi Excise Act 2009 and Delhi Excise Rules 2010.

The report said that Manish Sisodia took and got executed, major decisions/actions “in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications.” The CBI’s investigation was recommended after the report’s findings were revealed.