Page 7 - Excise Duty

Decoding Delhi's alleged 'liquor scam' that led to Manish Sisodia's arrest

Under the new, now-scrapped, excise policy, the state government allowed private vendors and shops to sell liquor in Delhi

More hiccups: No Dutch courage in Delhi govt's new excise policy

The new liquor policy promised several changes to the way alcoholic drinks are sold in Delhi

Centre slashes windfall tax on crude oil from Rs 5,050/tonne to Rs 4,350

Windfall tax: The additional excise duty on ATF has been cut to Rs 1.5 per litre from Rs 6 per litre earlier

ED arrests businessman Gautam Malhotra in Delhi excise policy scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested businessman Gautam Malhotra in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam.

Alcohol sales in India rose to a four-year high in 2022, says report

The rise was the sharpest in premium products with their portfolio now accounting for a fifth of all the whisky sold in India

ED attaches Rs 76.54 cr worth assets of accused in Excise policy scam

Houses located in upscale localities of Delhi and Mumbai, restaurants, 50 vehicles and bank deposits worth Rs 76.54 crore of various accused, including an AAP functionary, an alleged close associate of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and an associate of Telangana chief minister's daughter, have been attached in the Delhi excise policy money laundering case, the ED said Wednesday. It said in a statement that the agency has issued a provisional attachment order, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), for freezing the properties. The properties belong to arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair, Arun Pillai, a Hyderabad-based liquor businessman and a partner in a company called Robin Distilleries LLP whom the ED had said represented the 'south group' alleged cartel linked to Telangana chief minister's MLC daughter Kavitha and others, liquor businessman Sameer Mahandru, his wife Geetika Mahandru and their company Indospirit Group. The assets

Excise policy 'scam': ED attaches Rs 76.54 cr worth assets under PMLA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it has attached houses located in upscale localities of Delhi and Mumbai, restaurants, 50 vehicles and bank deposits worth Rs 76.54 crore in a money laundering case probe linked to the Delhi excise policy 'scam'. The properties belong to arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair, liquor businessman Sameer Mahandru, his wife and company Indospirit Group, businessman Dinesh Arora, Arun Pillai, Amit Arora, director of liquor company Buddy Retail Pvt Limited, and others, the agency said in a statement. An order for the provisional attachment of the assets has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The money laundering stems from a CBI FIR. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and other excise officials of the government were named as accused in the CBI and the ED complaints. In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that Sisodia and other accused public servants recommended and took decisions pertaini

Delhi excise scam: ED files supplementary charge sheet against 12

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed a supplementary charge sheet against five individuals and seven companies before a court here in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam also involving Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The ED, however, did not name Sisodia as accused in the case, and told the judge that further investigation is going on in the mater. The report was filed before Special Judge M K Nagpal who will take up the matter for consideration on Saturday. The 2021-22 policy has now been scrapped after allegations of irregularities were made. The individuals named in the charge sheet are Vijay Nair, Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally and Amit Arora. This is the second prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed by the federal investigative agency in this case, registered under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The first was filed in November last year. A total of 12 entities, which inclu

Excise scam: Court extends judicial custody of four accused till Jan 7

A Delhi court on Monday extended till January 7 the judicial custody of four accused, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam also involving Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Special Judge M K Nagpal extended the custody of businessmen Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally after they were produced before the court, noting that the bail petitions of all these accused is presently pending in this court for arguments on different dates. The special judge passed the order after noting the submissions of Enforcement Directorate's special public prosecutor N K Matta that the agency was in process of filing a supplementary charge sheet against all arrested accused. The ED told the court that the charge sheet is likely to be filed by January 6. The agency had earlier told the court that the next charge sheet would be common against all the arrested accused in the money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise

AAP used excise scam to generate illegal funds, caused Rs 2,873 cr loss: ED

The ED has claimed in its charge sheet before a court here that the Delhi Excise Policy, which caused total loss of Rs 2,873 crore to govt exchequer, was a device created by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, some of who are part of Delhi government, to generate illegal funds. In its first charge sheet filed in the scam, the agency alleged that the constitution of expert committee and calling of public opinion were merely eyewash and their reports were never to be implemented. The policy was formulated with deliberate loopholes, inbuilt mechanism to facilitate illegal activities and is marred with inconsistencies which when looked deeply, reflect malafide intentions of the policymakers, it alleged. This policy promoted cartel formations through back door, awarded exorbitant wholesale (12 per cent) and huge retail profit margin of 185% and incentivized other illegal activities on account of criminal and political conspiracy of leaders of AAP, it alleged, adding that the 12 per cent profi

Cut excise duty on CNG till gas is included in GST: Kirit Parikh panel

The Union government should moderate the excise duty it levies on CNG till such time that the environment-friendly natural gas is included in the one-nation-one-tax GST regime, Kirit Parikh Committee has recommended. Natural gas is currently outside the ambit of GST, and existing legacy taxes -- central excise duty, state VAT and central sales tax -- continue to be applicable on the fuel. While the central government does not levy excise duty on natural gas when sold in gaseous form, it charges a 14 per cent tax on compressed natural gas (CNG). States levy VAT as high as 24.5 per cent on gas. The Parikh Committee, which was formed to recommend fair price of gas to the end consumer and a "market-oriented, transparent and reliable pricing regime", in its report to the Oil Ministry last week suggested that "gas should be brought under the GST regime". "The committee recognise that this requires consensus among the states," it said. "To obtain this, if need be the states may be ...

CBI files charge sheet in Delhi Excise policy scam case, say officials

The CBI on Friday filed its first charge sheet against seven accused in the Delhi Excise policy scam case, officials said. Those named in the charge sheet include two arrested businessmen, the head of a news channel, a Hyderabad-based liquor businessman, a Delhi-based liquor distributor and two officials of the excise department, they said. The agency has kept the probe open, officials added.

Chatroom: 'Export incentives available on payments received through SVAs'

Export invoicing in INR is already allowed but the payment must come through Vostro Accounts maintained by foreign banks with a bank in India

Customs, excise mop-up likely to see Rs 1-trillion shortfall in FY23

Duty cuts on edible oil, petro products to blame; may not hit overall collection

Sisodia leaves CBI HQ after 9-hr questioning,claims 'was asked to quit AAP'

The CBI on Monday questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi excise scam case for over nine hours, officials said. Sisodia had arrived at the agency's headquarters around 11.15 am and was taken straight to the first floor of the anti-corruption branch, they said. The deputy chief minister was grilled for over nine hours on various aspects of the Delhi government's excise policy, his relations with other accused, including businessman Vijay Nair, and documents recovered during searches in the case, the officials said. The CBI has also questioned Raghava Reddy, the son of YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, in the case, they said.

Excise policy scam: CBI summons Manish Sisodia for questioning on Monday

The CBI has summoned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy for the national capital, officials said. The federal probe agency has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to appear before it at its headquarters at 11 am on Monday, they added. In a tweet on Sunday, Sisodia said: "CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out in it. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation. Satyameva Jayate." The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has questioned a number of people, including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam, in connection with the case, the officials said. The ..

Over 5,500 litres of smuggled illicit liquor destroyed: Delhi excise dept

The Excise department of Delhi government on Saturday destroyed 5,516 litres of smuggled illicit liquor seized by its enforcement teams in recent months, officials said. According to the Excise department, 3,267 litres of illicit liquor was destroyed in Mayur Vihar, 1,285 litres in Sarita Vihar and 964 litres in Tilak Nagar. A large number of liquor bottles were spread on concrete stretches and a road roller was used to crush them, they said. "Seizure of liquor smuggled into Delhi and its destruction is a routine exercise," said a senior Excise department official. The enforcement activity by the department will pick up further once Delhi Police personnel are deputed at its Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB), officials said. Thirty nine police personnel deployed at EIB were repatriated to Delhi Police in August. The move came on the heels of a CBI probe recommended by the LG VK Saxena into alleged irregularities in implementation of now scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22. Among the ...

Delhi Excise policy case: ED raids 25 new locations in national capital

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided at least 25 locations in the national capital as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation into the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy, officials said. The premises covered under the search operation belong to private entities linked to liquor dealership and distributorship, they said. The federal agency has conducted multiple raids in this case till now and had also arrested Sameer Mahandru, a liquor businessman and managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit, last month in the case. The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as an accused among others. The scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter.

Delhi's new excise policy likely to be delayed as committee seeks more time

The Delhi government's new excise policy (2022-23) is likely to be delayed as a high-level committee formed to frame its broad outlines has sought more time to submit its report, officials have said. The committee constituted in August includes principal secretary finance, principal secretary revenue, excise commissioner and an expert member. The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn in July by the Delhi government after a CBI probe was recommended by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena into alleged irregularities in its implementation. Announcing the withdrawal of the Excise Policy 2021-22, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said a new policy will be framed within six months. The committee formed to give recommendations for the excise policy 2022-23 was stipulated to submit its report within one month. However, it could not do so due to various reasons including the ongoing CBI probe into the excise policy 2021-22, the officials said. "The committee has asked the government for m

Taxes to come to govt's aid, achieve 6.4% fiscal deficit goal for FY23

Centre has already collected half the targeted revenue in the first six months of the current financial year even as customs and excise duty collection figures are yet to come in