The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday attached assets worth over Rs 52 crore belonging to the jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia and other accused individuals involved in the Delhi liquor policy scam.
The seized assets include properties belonging to Amandeep Singh Dhall, Rajesh Joshi, Gautam Malhotra, and others implicated in the case, reported NDTV.
Additionally, two properties owned by Sisodia and his wife, Seema, along with Rs 11 lakh in their bank accounts, have also been seized.
This action by the ED follows the recent arrest of Delhi businessman Dinesh Arora, who is known to have close ties to Sisodia. It is important to note that the ED’s case pertaining to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam is separate from the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia and several others are facing corruption allegations related to the implementation of a new liquor sale policy in the national capital.
Last year, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered the CBI probe into the matter.
The ED’s investigation into the Delhi liquor policy scam focuses on the alleged involvement of a “South Lobby” consisting of businessmen and politicians who sought to influence the policy in their favour through the use of middlemen, traders, and bureaucrats. Meanwhile, the CBI is separately examining the corruption allegations surrounding the case.
Following the order by Lieutenant Governor Saxena, the Delhi government reverted to the old liquor policy, citing the loss of revenue worth crores of rupees that the AAP government claimed would have been generated if the new policy had continued.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Delhi government of reverting to the old liquor sale policy as a means to conceal corruption within the excise department, which was under the purview of Sisodia at the time.
The CBI’s investigation aims to uncover the extent of influence exerted by the “South Lobby” and its network of middlemen, traders, and bureaucrats in shaping the Delhi liquor policy to their advantage. The probe also seeks to determine the involvement of politicians and businessmen in the alleged scam.
As the investigations progress, the authorities are committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring that those responsible for any wrongdoing are held accountable under the law.
