ED conducts fresh raids in Delhi Excise Policy case

This is the second round of raids being conducted by the ED in this case after it first conducted searches on September 6

The ED on Friday launched fresh raids at about 40 locations across the country as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, official sources said.

The searches are being conducted at premises linked to liquor businessmen, distributors and supply chain networks in Nellore and some other cities in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR, they said.

This is the second round of raids being conducted by the federal agency in this case after it first conducted searches on September 6 at about 45 locations across the country.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case of money laundering in the excise policy stems from a CBI FIR in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and some bureaucrats have been named as accused. The excise policy has been rolled back now.

Also read:How new excise policy turned into a political battleground in Delhi

The CBI had conducted raids in the case on August 19, covering the Delhi residences of Mr. Sisodia (50), IAS officer and former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and 19 other locations across seven States and Union Territories. Mr. Sisodia holds multiple portfolios in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, including excise and education.