Liquor policy scam: CBI books Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia, AP officer Arava Gopikrishna & Hyd man

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, former Delhi Excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna of Andhra Pradesh, and 14 others in the alleged liquor policy scam. Among the 16 against whom the FIR was registered is Arun Ramachandra Pillai, who hails from Kokapet of Hyderabad. However Arun currently lives in Bengaluru.

The enforcement agency carried out raids against multiple Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers, and public servants in the alleged liquor policy violations scam. The raids went on for nearly eight hours at 21 locations in Delhi and the National Capital Area.

IAS officer and former Delhi Excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna who hails from Andhra Pradesh was one among the 11 key officials who were suspended by Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena on 6 August for serious lapses in the implementation of the Excise Policy 2021-22.

It was alleged that irregularities were committed including in modifications in Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the license, wavier/reduction in license fee, extension of L-1 license without approval. It was further alleged that Illegal gains on count of these acts were diverted to concerned public servants by private parties and making false entries in their books of accounts.

Searches are being conducted today at 31 locations including in Delhi, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru which, so far, have led to recovery of Incriminating documents/articles, digital records.

Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the suspended officials.

The 11 suspended officials included ex-deputy Excise commissioner Anand Kumar Tiwari, three ad-hoc DANICS officers, and six officials of the Delhi government's Excise department.

Sources said the suspended officials made lapses in finalizing the tender and extending post-tender benefits to select vendors. Action was taken by Mr. Saxena on the basis of an inquiry report filed by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV).

A month before, an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation had already been recommended by the LG into the alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses in the implementation of the Excise Policy 2021-22. Under the policy, implemented in 17 November 2021, private firms were issued retail licences for 849 liquor vends across the city divided into 32 zones. However, the policy has now been withdrawn by the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal.