Excise Case: Court allows CBI to quiz Amandeep Singh Dhall in Tihar Jail

New Delhi [India], April 10 : The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Monday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to examine/quiz Businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall in Tihar Jail in connection with the excise policy scam case.

Amandeep Singh Dhall is presently confined in Tihar Jail in Judicial Custody in connection with a Money Laundering case of an Excise Case.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) through application stated that "Some fresh evidence has surfaced which requires further examination of Amandeep Singh Dhall to unearth the conspiracy hatched between the accused in relation to the Excise case"

After going through the application, the special Judge MK Nagpal allowed CBI officials of the case to visit Tihar jail premises for the purpose of recording the statement of Amandeep Singh Dhall on any of the days this week.

Dhall is the executive director of Brindco Sales Private Limited and was arrested on March 1, 2023, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the Excise case.

The CBI also informed the Court that the agency has earlier too examined him in the case before his arrest by the ED.

Earlier ED said, "Dhall has conspired with other persons and was actively involved in the formation of policy and facilitating kickbacks to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its recoupment by the South Group through various means. By such acts, proceeds of crime (POC) to the tune of at least Rs. 7.68 Crores has been generated and Aman Dhall has played role in the generation, transfer, and concealment of the proceeds of crime and projected the same as untainted."

On the basis of the investigation conducted so far indicates that Amandeep Singh Dhall is actually involved in the activity connected to the acquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime, said the ED in court earlier.

Earlier ED said Dhall played a big role in Formulation, conspiracy and kickbacks paid by the south group. His role in policy formulation is evidenced by the possession of a copy of the draft policy before it was released. Dhall had forwarded the draft to Binoy Babu, which Babu went on to delete.

There are WhatsApp chats and calls between him and Babu. He was part of the meetings with the South group, and policy formulation regarding kickbacks etc. He has played a key role in coordinating meetings between the south group and Vijay Nair, who is allegedly the media coordinator of AAP, ED stated.

The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

An alleged, the Excise Department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.

This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.

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