The ED's move comes a day after Vijay Nair, another liquor seller charged in the case, was taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Digital Desk: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Sameer Mahendru, a liquor trader who was among the accused in the alleged Delhi liquor scam.
The ED's move comes a day after Vijay Nair, another liquor seller charged in the case, was taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The proprietor of Indospirits, Sameer Mahendru, is accused in the FIR of making at least two payments totaling crores to Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi. Mahendru is one of the reputed alcohol dealers who participated in anomalies in the formulation and application of the extant excise policy.
According to the CBI FIR, Sameer Mahendru transferred Rs 1 crore to Radha Industries, which is run by Dinesh Arora, a close associate of Sisodia.
Additionally, the CBI claimed that Arjun Pandey, another close associate of Sisodia's, obtained between Rs 2 and Rs 4 crore from Sameer Mahendru on behalf of a man named Vijay Nair.
"According to additional information from sources, Arun Ramchandra Pillai used to obtain unfair financial advantages from Sameer Mahendru for the purpose of passing them on to the accused public employees through Vijay Nair. Arjun Pandey previously procured for Vijay Nair a substantial cash sum of between Rs 2 and 4 crores from Sameer Mahendru, "the CBI added.
The CBI's FIR stated Manish Sisodia and the other government employees charged in the case made choices about the excise policy for 2021–22 without getting permission from the appropriate parties and with "an aim to offer undue favours to the licensees post tender."
The FIR pertaining to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act identified a total of 15, including Manish Sisodia. The Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who suggested a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities in the execution of the Excise Policy 2021–22, served as the basis for the FIR.
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