Excise policy case: Court takes cognisance of CBI chargesheet, summons accused

New Delhi: A court here on Thursday took cognizance of a charge sheet filed by the CBI against seven people in a case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying "sufficient grounds have been found for proceeding further" against them.

The accused persons are Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair, Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru, former Excise Department officials Kuldeep Singh and Narender Singh, and Mootha Goutam and Arun Ramchandra

Pillai.

Out of the seven, Nair and Boinpally were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during the investigation and were later granted bail on November 14. However, they remain in jail in a money laundering case related to the alleged scam.

Special Judge M K Nagpal issued a production warrant against Nair and Boinpally for January 3 and summoned the other five to appear before the court the

same day.

"After going through the contents of the charge sheet, statements of witnesses recorded and the oral and documentary evidence collected during the course of investigation, cognizance of the offences as disclosed therefrom is hereby taken and since sufficient grounds have been found for proceeding further in the matter against all the seven accused persons being sought to be prosecuted through this charge sheet, they all are directed to be summoned to face trial for the above said offences," the judge said.

The CBI has alleged that Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been named as an accused in the agency's FIR, and other accused public servants recommended and took decisions pertaining to the Delhi Excise Policy, 2021-22, without the approval of the competent authority with "an intention to extend undue favours to the licensees post tender".