CBI moves plea in court to make businessman Dinesh Arora a witness in Excise Policy case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has moved a plea in Delhi Court today under 306 Crpc to make businessman Dinesh Arora, an accused, a witness in the Delhi excise policy case.

The Special CBI Judge MK Nagpal is scheduled to hear this plea on Monday.

A few days ago, the same court granted anticipatory bail to Dinesh Arora after CBI didn't oppose the bail plea in the case.

The Court noted that CBI in its reply against the anticipatory bail plea, stated that the applicant has supported the investigation and disclosed certain facts which are vital for the investigation; hence, the CBI has no objection if the anticipatory bail is granted to the applicant by this court.

Court further noted that, though, from the contents of the reply filed by CBI, noimmediate apprehensions about the arrest of the applicant, in this case, appear to be made out, but still, keeping in view the fact that the applicant is one of the accused who are named in FIR and further keeping in view the fact that he is stated to have made some statements before the Investigation Officer (IO) which are self-inculpatory in nature.

It is directed that in the event that the applicant is required to be arrested in this case in the future, he shall be released on bail on furnishing of a personal bond in the sum of Rs. One Lakh with one surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the IO.

However, it is subject to the condition that he shall continue to join the investigation as and when he may be summoned to do so and will fully cooperate in the investigation, added the court.

Arora's anticipatory bail application was moved when Vijay Nair was arrested by the CBI and Sameer Mahendru was arrested by the ED.

Later CBI arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD of Delhi.

On September 27, CBI arrested businessman Vijay Nair, former CEO of event management company Only Much Louder, during an investigation concerning the Delhi Excise Policy scam.

In August, CBI registered a case in the Excise Policy scam and issued a Lookout Circular (LOC) against eight private persons named as accused in the Excise Policy case.Among the accused, public servants are Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the then Excise Commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.

The others are Manoj Rai, a former employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Indospirit Group; Buddy Retail and its director Amit Arora, Dinesh Arora, Mahadev Liquors, its authorised signatory Sunny Marwah and Arjun Pandey.

(ANI)

Also Read: 'RSS trying to destabilise state government': Kerala CPI(M) state Secretary M V Govindan