A Delhi court has taken cognizance of two supplementary charge sheets filed by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The charge sheets were filed against Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Rajesh Joshi, Amandeep Dhal, Gautam Malhotra and Raghav Magunta, and related entities. The judge noted that there was sufficient evidence in the charge sheets and summoned the accused persons for May 10.
The ED’s Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta told the court that the agency will file a supplementary charge sheet as and when the probe completes. The agency has not filed a charge sheet against AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who was arrested on March 9. The CBI and the ED had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and for laundering the money so generated.
The Delhi court had dismissed Sisodia’s bail application in the case on April 28, stating that the evidence prima facie “speaks volumes of his involvement in commission of the offence”. The court had also dismissed his bail application in the corruption case related to the scam on March 31.
In one supplementary charge sheet, the ED had named three individuals — Raghav Magunta, Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra — and five related companies, while the other prosecution complaint was filed against businessmen Arun Ramchandra Pillai and Amandeep Dhal.
The further investigation is still ongoing in the matter, and the ED has assured the court that it will file a supplementary charge sheet once the probe is complete. The excise policy scam case has been a subject of controversy, and the Delhi court’s move is expected to bring some clarity to the situation.
In conclusion, the ED’s charge sheets and the court’s cognizance of the case are a significant development in the excise policy scam case. The accused persons have been summoned, and the further investigation is still ongoing. It remains to be seen how the case will unfold in the coming days, and whether more individuals will be charged in the case.