Page 2 - Excise Bill

Beer smuggling surge in Delhi this poll season, recovery of bottles doubles

Delhi police data indicated that by March of this year, 5,965 beer bottles were seized, up from the 2,117 bottles recovered last year

CBI questions K Kavitha in Tihar in connection with excise policy case

The CBI has questioned BRS leader K Kavitha in connection with a Delhi excise policy-linked alleged corruption case in Tihar jail where she is lodged after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, officials said Tuesday. The agency was given permission by the special court to question her on the WhatsApp chats recovered from co-accused Buchi Babu's phone and documents related to a land deal after which Rs 100 crore was allegedly paid to the Aam Aadmi Party in kickbacks to swing excise policy in favour of a liquor lobby. The agency officials had gone to Tihar Jail on Saturday where she was questioned on these aspects of the case, sources said. The court's permission was mandatory to question her in Tihar jail because she was in judicial custody. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has been accused of being a key member of the "South Group", which allegedly paid the ruling AAP in Delhi kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liqu

Sisodia writes letter from Tihar Jail, says 'Will meet you soon outside'

AAP leader Manish Sisodia has written a letter from Tihar Jail to the people of his assembly constituency, comparing his plight with the atrocities committed by the Britishers against freedom fighters and asserting his commitment to education. The former deputy chief minister, who has been arrested in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case, also expressed hope that he will be out of jail soon. "Will meet you soon outside. The British rulers had also arrogance of power and they sent people to jail in false cases," he said and added that Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who spent many years in jail, were his inspiration. Sisodia's bail hearing is scheduled in a Delhi court on Saturday. In the letter to people of his assembly constituency Patparganj in east Delhi, Sisodia, said a struggle for good education and schools is underway like people fought for freedom of the country. "Education revolution Zindabad. Love you all," Sisodia, who also served as education minister i

Excise 'scam': Sanjay Singh to share itinerary, keep Google location on

Special CBI Judge Kaveri Baweja was directed to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety bond in the same amount. His wife, Anita Singh, furnished the surety bond

Arvind Kejriwal 'kingpin', 'key conspirator' in excise scam: ED to Delhi HC

The ED on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the "kingpin" and the "key conspirator" of the "excise scam". The federal agency opposed the AAP convener's petition challenging his arrest in the related money laundering case. In its reply filed to the petition, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said there were "reasons to believe on the basis of material in possession" that Kejriwal was "guilty of the offence of money laundering". "Sh Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, is the kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi Excise Scam in collusion with Ministers of Delhi Govt, AAP leaders and other persons.. Sh Arvind Kejriwal was directly involved in the formulation of the Excise Policy 2021-22. "This policy was being drafted considering the favours to be granted to the South Group and was formed in collusion with Sh Vijay Nair, Sh Manish Sisodia and members representatives of the South Group," said the response. Kejriwal is involved in t

No purpose will be served by keeping me in custody: Sisodia tells court

Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, arrested in the Delhi excise policy case in February last year, on Tuesday told a Delhi court hearing his bail petition that no purpose will be served by keeping him in jail any further. The former deputy chief minister of Delhi told Special Judge M K Nagpal that the investigation against him in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam was already complete and there was no possibility of him hampering the probe or destroying evidence. He also told the judge that he was ready to abide by any condition imposed by the court if it decides to grant him bail. Sisodia is currently lodged in Tihar jail. Earlier, the court had sent him to judicial custody after the ED submitted that the case was at a crucial stage and if released, the accused might hamper the investigation. The ED's case is based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the excise ...

Delhi govt collects excise revenue of over Rs 3,500 crore in H1FY24

The Delhi government's excise department has earned a revenue of more than Rs 3,500 crore with a sale of 27.6 crore liquor bottles in the first half of the current financial year, officials said on Wednesday. The revenue figure came amid a controversy over alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. According to official data, the Delhi government earned a revenue of Rs 3,588 crore in April-September 2023-24. The revenue from liquor trade included Rs 2,457 crore as excise duty and Rs 1,131 crore as value added tax (VAT) on the sale of 27.6 crore liquor bottles during the period. The April-September period last year was marred by scrapping of the excise policy 2021-22 by the Delhi government after a CBI probe was recommended by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena into alleged irregularities in its implementation. The retail liquor sale was badly hit with the private vendors surrendering licences and shortage of stocks due to the turmoil caused by the CBI probe,

CBI files additional charge sheet against 5 accused in Delhi excise case

The CBI has filed a supplementary charge sheet against five people in the Delhi excise policy scam case in which former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia is also an accused, officials said on Thursday. This is the second supplementary charge sheet in the case, they said. The five named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the supplementary charge sheet, filed before a special court here, include director of Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd Rajesh Joshi and his employees Damodar Prasad Sharma and Prince Kumar, the officials said. The agency has also named the creative head of India Ahead News, Arvind Kumar Singh, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteer Chanpreet Singh Rayat, they said. They are all accused of diverting funds generated through the alleged scam for the Goa assembly election campaign of the AAP, the officials said. Rayat and Arvind Kumar Singh were arrested by the CBI in May, while Joshi was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and later granted bail by

Excise policy scam: SC dismisses ED's plea against bail to Sameer Mahendru

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea of the Enforcement Directorate challenging the six-week interim bail granted to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, that it is not going to interfere with the order of the Delhi High Court. Raju submitted that the Delhi High Court order is "shocking" and is based on wrong facts and cannot be treated as a precedent. The bench said, "Sorry, for six weeks bail, we are not going to interfere. The period is going to run itself out in the next 10-15 days". On June 12, the high court had granted six-week interim bail on medical grounds to Mahendru in the money laundering case. The high court had observed that the accused was suffering from life-threatening diseases warranting immediate medical attention and post-opera

Delhi's retail liquor trade records sharp decline compared to Q1FY23

The retail liquor trade in Delhi has recorded a sharp decline as compared to the first quarter (April-June) in 2022, when the now-scrapped excise policy of the city government was in place, according to a report prepared by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC). The new excise policy of the Delhi government was withdrawn in July 2022 after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its implementation. The policy was finally wrapped up on August 31 last year. The old policy under which Delhi government corporations opened liquor vends in the city was rolled out on September 1, 2022. Despite all the disruptions related to the excise policy changes and non-availability of many brands, Delhi maintained a healthy annual growth rate of 36 per cent year on year, the CIABC report said. However, a closer analysis shows that much of this growth is attributed to the first quarter of 2022-23, when various trade schemes and .

Licences of clubs serving liquor could be cancelled if CCTV not working

The Delhi excise department has warned hotels, clubs and restaurants serving liquor of "stern action", including cancelling licences, if they fail to install functional CCTV cameras on their premises, officials said on Tuesday. Instances of non-functional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at some clubs, hotels and restaurants have come to the notice of the department's enforcement branch during inspections, they said. "It hampers the inspection work of the excise department," an official said. In order to check violations at the hotels, clubs and restaurants, the inspection teams rely on the CCTV footage obtained from their premises. However, often the teams are not provided with the CCTV footage by the licensees on the pretext that the cameras are non-functional, a senior officer of the department said. "In view of the above, all the licensees of hotels, clubs and restaurants holding excise licences are hereby directed to ensure that the CCTV cameras are installe

Probe against Manish Sisodia in excise policy case complete, says ED

The ED has also alleged that Sisodia created legal facade and tried to derail the investigation

Haryana Cabinet gives nod to new Excise Policy 2023-24

The Haryana cabinet on Tuesday approved the new excise policy 2023-24, under which the retail permit fee has been imposed and the government aims to mop up Rs 400 crore for the environment and animal welfare fund. There has also been a nominal increase in rates of excise duty on country liquor and IMFL. The government aims to collect Rs 400 crore for Environment and Animal Welfare -- Gau Seva -- said in an official statement after the cabinet meeting held here Tuesday evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. "Reiterating the state government's commitment towards protecting the environment and animal welfare, the retail permit fee has been imposed in the new policy with a targeted collection of Rs 400 crore. The said amount will be utilised for the environment and animal welfare," it said. According to the official statement, as an environmentally friendly measure, the new policy aims to discontinue the use of PET bottles in the bottling of liquor after

Excise case: Delhi court lists ED's charge sheet against Sisodia on May 10

On ED apprising the court that hard copy of the supplementary charge sheet has been filed, the judge directed it to file the soft copies of the charge sheet by May 8

Delhi court lists supplementary charge sheet against Sisodia for mulling

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail

Excise policy scam: Delhi court to hear businessman's bail plea on May 12

A Delhi court will hear on May 12 the bail application of businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. Special Judge M K Nagpal fixed the matter for hearing arguments on the bail application on a join request made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the accused. The ED's Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta sought adjournment on the ground that the court has summoned Dhall and other co-accused on May 12 in pursuance to a supplementary prosecution complaint (ED's equivalent of a charge sheet) filed by the central probe agency against them. The counsel for Dhall also sought adjournment for addressing arguments on his bail application. "Hence, at joint request, the application is directed to be listed on May 12, for arguments. Accused be produced physically on the next date, as requested, the judge said in an order passed on May 4. The Delhi court on April 28 dismissed AAP leader and former Delhi minister Manish .

Excise scam: AAP leader Manish Sisodia's judicial custody extended

A Delhi court on Saturday extended till May 28 the judicial custody of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to alleged excise scam. Sisodia, who was produced before the court on the expiry of his judicial custody, said before the media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be able to stop Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's work in Delhi. "Modi ji may try as much as he wants, but he won't be able to stop the work of Kejriwal ji in Delhi. Modi ji may conspire as much as he wants," Sisodia said while he was being brought out of the courtroom after the judge pronounced the order. The court has on Friday dismissed the bail plea of Sisodia, saying "the case of economic offences has serious repercussions upon the general public and society at large as the evidence collected during investigation speaks volumes of his involvement in the commission of the said offence". The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister ..

Delhi excise scam: ED files supplementary charge sheet before Delhi court

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed a supplementary charge sheet against businessmen Arun Ramchandra Pillai and Amandeep Singh Dhall in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The supplementary charge sheet, third in the case, is likely to come up for consideration before Special Judge M K Nagpal on Friday. The ED did not name former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the case, in the latest charge sheet. The agency said that the investigation against Sisodia is underway and a final report will be filed on him later. According to the latest charge sheet, ED has charged that Hyderabad-based businessman Pillai was a close associate of Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC K Kavitha and he is required to be confronted with other accused in the case. Dhall was the executive director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, which was a major importer and distributor of a variety of liquor brands and rel

Delhi Court to pronounce order on Sisodia's bail in ED case on April 28

Manish Sisodia was physically produced before the Court on Tuesday during the arguements of his bail plea

Excise policy manipulated to favour cartelisation of liquor trade: CBI

The CBI Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was manipulated to favour cartelisation and monopolisation in liquor trade in the national capital and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and businessman Vijay Nair were the main conspirators. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made the contention while opposing the bail plea of Sisodia who sought parity for him with other accused who have got the relief and claimed that the senior AAP leader was not in a position to influence the witnesses in the case or tamper with evidence. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, representing the CBI, to explain to him the whole scam for his understanding. ASG Raju said the accused wanted to make money but at the same time they wanted to show that they were transparent which they were not. It was a fraud, a scam whereby money was to be made. But they wanted to show they are transparent. Manufacturer