Page 4 - Excise Duty

Excise scam: ED issues 6th summons to CM Kejriwal in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh and the 6th summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his questioning in the excise policy linked money laundering case, official sources said Wednesday. The 55-year-old leader, also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has been asked to depose before the federal agency on February 19. A Delhi court last week had asked Kejriwal to appear before it on February 17 acting on a complaint filed by the ED for disobeying ED summons in this case and noted that prima facie the AAP chief was "legally bound" to comply. This is the 6th summons in this case by the ED to the former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. He was earlier called on dates like February 2, January 18 and January 3 this year and December 21 and November 2 in 2023. The CM has always called these notices "illegal".

Kerala Budget: Govt hikes excise duty on liquor, pitches for privatisation

A cash-strapped Kerala government on Monday increased court fees and excise duty on liquor and pitched for public-private funding in key areas to raise funds for the implementation of various developmental projects in the state budget for the fiscal 2024-25. Despite expectations, the government opted not to enhance social welfare pensions and also provided only a nominal increase of Rs 10 in the minimum support price for rubber -- a major cash crop of the state -- enhancing it to Rs 180 from Rs 170 earlier. Finance Minister K N Balagopal tabled the fourth budget of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government without hiding the financial constraints it is facing, while attacking the Centre for the alleged neglect it shows towards the state. Seeking to raise additional revenue, the budget proposed a hike of Rs 10 per litre in excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and an increase of 15 paise per unit in electricity duty for consumers who generate and consume energy for their own

Excise policy: SC defers hearing on Sanjay Singh's plea against his arrest

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred till March 5 the hearing on AAP leader Sanjay Singh's plea challenging his arrest and remand in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta adjourned the matter after it was informed by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), that the order on Singh's regular bail plea had been reserved by the Delhi High Court on January 31. "He has moved for regular bail before the high court and order has been reserved on his petition. Kindly adjourn it for a while," Raju requested the court. The bench said it is listing the matter for hearing on March 5. On November 20 last year, the top court had sought responses from the Centre and the ED on Singh's plea challenging his arrest and remand in the case. The top court had said that if Singh filed a petition for regular bail in the interregnum, then it should be considered independent

Excise scam: ED approaches court after Arvind Kejriwal skips 5th summon

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a court here for not appearing before it in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The complaint was filed before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra, who put up the matter for further hearing on February 7. "Fresh complaint case'for non-attendance in compliance of Section 50, PMLA, 2002, received by way of assignment," the judge noted. The judge heard the part arguments and adjourned the matter. "This is a fresh complaint case. Submissions heard. Put up for remaining submissions/ consideration on February 7, 2024," the judge said.

Excise policy case: Delhi CM Kejriwal to skip ED summons for fifth time

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday for questioning in an alleged money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, according to the AAP. The ED on Wednesday had issued a fresh and the fifth summons to Kejriwal after he skipped four earlier summonses over the last four months. Kejriwal will not appear before the agency for questioning, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. Terming the summons "illegal", the party said the ED is repeatedly sending notices to Kejriwal to arrest him. The AAP also alleged that the BJP wants to topple its government in Delhi by getting Kejriwal arrested. The AAP will not let this happen, it said. The Delhi chief minister is, however, scheduled to take part in a protest of the AAP outside the BJP headquarters here at 11 am. Kejriwal skipped ED summonses for November 2 and December 21 in 2023 and January 3 and January 18 this year. He had called these notices "illegal". It

Sanjay Singh created special purpose vehicle in excise policy case: ED

Sanjay Singh is one of the key conspirators in the Delhi Liquor Scam. Sanjay Singh is closely associated with number of accused/suspects in this case

Court extends judicial custody of Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh till Jan 20

A Delhi Court on Wednesday extended till January 20 the judicial custody of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Special Judge M K Nagpal also allowed Singh to visit the returning officer to receive his election certificate upon his re-election to the Rajya Sabha on January 12. Singh and two other AAP candidates are expected to get elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed given the party's overwhelming dominance in the Delhi assembly. The court passed the order on an application moved by Singh seeking directions to the jail authorities to take him to the returning officer to receive the certificate as January 12 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The court, meanwhile, granted interim bail to co-accused Sarvesh Mishra, a close aide of Singh, and posted his application for regular bail for January 20. Mishra was named as an accused in the fifth supplementary chargesheet. The Delhi government had implement

Delhi Excise Policy case: Kejriwal skips 3rd summons; case updates so far

CBI probe, ED summons, CM Kejriwal's response and full timeline of the Delhi excise case so far

Excise policy case: HC extends Arun Pillai's interim bail till January 8

Pillai was arrested by the ED in March 2023 in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam

ED may issue fresh summons to Delhi CM Kejriwal in excise policy case

The Enforcement Directorate is examining the reply sent by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding his refusal to appear before the agency and may issue its fourth summons to him to join the investigation in the alleged excise policy case, official sources said Thursday. The 55-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor had refused to depose before the ED for the third time on Wednesday, saying the "non-disclosure and non-response approach" of the agency cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice and this "obstinacy" of the ED tantamounts to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner. The sources said the ED is currently examining Kejriwal's five-page reply sent to the investigating officer of the case on Wednesday and may reject his charges of calling the summons illegal. The agency may issue its fourth summons to Kejriwal as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. He was earlier asked to depose on November 2 and Decemb

Delhi excise case: Court asks CBI to depute sufficient staff for inspection

Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is an accused in CBI as well as money laundering case. In both cases, charge sheets have been filed against Sisodia and other accused persons

LS passes Bills to cap age of GSTAT Prez, effect Budget duty changes

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill that seeks to give immediate effect to the changes in customs and excise duties announced in the Budget. The House after a brief discussion on the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill 2023, passed the Bill by voice vote. Jayant Sinha (BJP) and B V Satyavathi (YSRCP) participated in the brief discussion on the Bill which is aimed at curbing speculative activities following changes in customs and excise duties in the Budget. Moving the Bill for passage, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023 seeks to obtain the authority from Parliament to provisionally levy and collect the newly imposed or increased duties of customs and excise for 75 days. This Bill proposes to replace the erstwhile Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1931 with a minor change that is technical in nature. The provisions of the Bill empower collection provisionally, during the period between the introduction and enactment of th

SC grants bail to executive of liquor firm in Delhi excise policy case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to liquor giant Pernod Ricard's executive Benoy Babu in a money laundering case arising out of the Delhi excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti noted that the accused has been in custody for more than 13 months and the trial against him has still not commenced in the case. The bench also noted that there were contradictions in the case probed by the CBI and the ED with regard to Babu. "You can't keep people behind bars before trial for long. This is not proper. We still don't know how this will go. There seems to be some contradiction between what the CBI is alleging and the ED is alleging in the case," the bench told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED). At the outset, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Babu, said it is a completely 'bogus case' against his client which is being probed by the ED. "As per the ED's case, Babu met Vijay Nair (Aam Aadmi Part

Major tax collections, barring personal income tax, decline in October

Centre's fiscal deficit till October at 45% of budget estimates, bit lower than last year's

Manish Sisodia approaches SC seeking review of order denying him bail

Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its order denying him bail in the corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The top court had on October 30 refused to grant him bail, saying the accusation against him of facilitating "windfall gains" of Rs 338 crore to wholesale liquor dealers was "tentatively supported" by evidence. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, which termed several charges levelled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Sisodia as debatable, had said, "However, there is one clear ground or charge in the complaint filed under the PML Act, which is free from perceptible legal challenge and the facts as alleged are tentatively supported by material and evidence." It had referred to the CBI's charge sheet, which said the excess amount of 7 per cent commission/fee earned by wholesale distributors of Rs 338 crore constitutes an offence as defined under

Excise Case: Delhi Court to hear bail plea of AAP's Sanjay Singh on Nov 28

ED claimed that Singh played a part in the Delhi govt's decision to give licenses to alcohol shops and merchants in 2020, causing losses to the state exchequer and violating anti-corruption laws

Court extends judicial custody of AAP leader Sanjay Singh till Nov 24

A Delhi court on Friday extended till November 24 the judicial custody of AAP leader Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam. Special Judge M K Nagpal also allowed Singh to sign some documents related to development work as a Member of Parliament. The judge also directed the authorities concerned to produce him before a court in Punjab after it was informed that a production warrant had been received from a court in Amritsar, Punjab, in a case there. The anti-money laundering agency had arrested Singh on October 4. The ED has alleged that Singh played a key role in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy, which benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.

Delhi excise policy case: ED summons CM Kejriwal for questioning on Nov 2

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case on November 2, official sources said on Monday. Kejriwal (55) has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and according to the sources, the agency will record his statement once he deposes before the investigating officer of the case in Delhi. The ED has mentioned Kejriwal's name multiple times in its chargesheets filed in the case and said the accused were in touch with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader regarding the preparation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. In a related development, the Supreme Court rejected two separate bail pleas of former deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in corruption and money-laundering cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam and said a transfer of Rs 338 crore was tentatively established in the matter.

Delhi excise scam: HC denies bail to Mahendru in money laundering case

The Delhi High Court has denied bail to liquor businessman Sameer Manendru in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying his right to healthcare cannot be allowed to overshadow the pressing need to investigate fairly. The high court observed that Mahendru, whose one of the grounds for seeking bail was his bad medical condition, was not suffering from any life threatening condition or sickness or infirmity which involves danger to his life and for which treatment cannot be provided to the applicant in jail. While the applicant's right to healthcare and medical treatment is a fundamental consideration, it cannot be allowed to overshadow the pressing need to investigate fairly and ensure that due legal processes are followed, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said. Mahendru was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on September 28, 2022, in the money laundering case. The high court said the allegations against the businessman were that he was one of t

Excise case: Court allows Sisodia to sign docs to allocate funds for works

A court here on Thursday allowed former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sidodia, arrested in cases related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, to sign documents to facilitate allocation of funds for development schemes for his assembly constituency. Special Judge M K Nagpal passed the order on an application moved by Sisodia. On an application moved on behalf of A (accused) 8 (Sisodia), he has been permitted to put his signatures, under attestation of the court, on some documents pertaining to approval/allocation of funds for some development schemes pertaining to his Assembly Constituency, the judge said. The judge had earlier allowed a similar application moved by Sisodia in August. Sisodia is currently in judicial custody in corruption and money laundering cases related to the alleged scam being probed by the CBI and ED, respectively. The two central agencies have alleged the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 allowed cartelisation and favoured certain deale