CBI probing plan to influence excise regime of 2020-21

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the Delhi government's proposed excise policy 2020-21, which is currently in operation, as well as the now-scrapped 2021-22 regime, in which former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh have been arrested, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed a Delhi court on Tuesday.

-  Neeraj Chauhan

The federal financial crimes probe agency also said that it has recovered certain "confidential documents" from Sanjay Singh, which attracts Official Secrets Act, 1923 (OSA) against the AAP leader.

After the 2021-22 policy was scapped in August last year, the Delhi government enforced the 2020-2021 regime which is currently operational in the city.

Referring to the AAP MP's role in the 2020-21 excise policy, ED alleged that Singh was involved in conspiracy of extending favours to private people in the formulation of the framework before the "conspiracy" regarding the excise policy of 2021-22 was hatched.

"Singh had assured to get changes through Manish Sisodia in the then proposed policy of 2020-21 to increase brand registration criterion for IMFL brands at the behest of (businessman) Amit Arora and (his close aide) Dinesh Arora," ED said in its remand note for Singh, who was arrested by the central agency on October 4.