Delhi liquor policy case: ED seizes assets worth Rs 52 crore of Manish Sisodia, others
The ED's action follows the arrest of Delhi businessman Dinesh Arora, who has ties to Manish Sisodia
New Delhi, July 07: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets worth more than Rs 52 crore belonging to Manish Sisodia, a prominent leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and other accused individuals in the Delhi liquor policy case, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Among the seized assets are properties owned by Amandeep Singh Dhall, Rajesh Joshi, Gautam Malhotra, and others. Additionally, two properties owned by Manish Sisodia and his wife Seema, as well as Rs 11 lakh found in their bank accounts, have been seized.
The action taken by the Enforcement Directorate follows the recent arrest of Delhi businessman Dinesh Arora, who is known to have close ties with Manish Sisodia. It is important to note that the ED's case related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam is separate from the investigation being carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, and other individuals are facing corruption allegations in connection with the implementation of a new liquor sale policy in the national capital. The Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had ordered the CBI probe into the matter last year.
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Following the CBI investigation, the Delhi government decided to revert to the previous liquor policy and accused the Lieutenant Governor of causing significant revenue loss amounting to crores of rupees that the AAP government claimed would have been generated if the new policy had been continued.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the Delhi government abandoned the new liquor sale policy in order to conceal corruption within the excise department, which was under the purview of Manish Sisodia at the time.
The CBI's investigation is focused on uncovering the alleged influence of a "South Lobby" comprised of businessmen and politicians who manipulated the Delhi liquor policy for their own benefit through the involvement of middlemen, traders, and bureaucrats.
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