Delhi Excise Policy: Manish Sisodia's close aide Dinesh Arora allowed to turn as govt approver

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed Businessman and close aide of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Dinesh Arora to turn approver in excise policy case. Last week, Dinesh had told the court during the hearing that he was ready to make "true disclosure voluntarily" about the case and that he wanted to be an approver in the case in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also an accused. The Rouse Avenue Court allowed his plea in this regard. Special Judge MK Nagpal on Wednesday allowed Arora to turn approver in the case while also granting pardon to Arora in the case, new agency ANI reported.

Earlier, He said, "I am ready to make a voluntary and true disclosure with respect to my role in the commission of the alleged offences. I have also cooperated in the investigation of the case by CBI and have made true statements before the investigation officer. I have also made a confessional statement before the ACMM regarding facts and events pertaining to the commission of alleged offenses". 

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Arora said, the application to turn approver in the case has been filed with the request of the grant of pardon to me as I am ready to voluntarily make a true and full disclosure of all the facts pertaining to this case as the same are within my knowledge. 

Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court allows businessman Dinesh Arora's plea to turn approver in the alleged excise policy case. Arora is said to be an aide of Manish Sisodia. pic.twitter.com/Fop9tkTq5B — ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2022

"I request to be granted a pardon in this case. I have agreed without any pressure, undue influence or coaxing by CBI or any other. I am also ready to abide by all the terms and conditions which the court may impose upon me," added Arora. 

No pressure, no threats by CBI or anyone else to do this, in response to Court`s question, he said. 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, no immediate 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. 

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 authorized signatory Sunny Marwah and Arjun Pandey. 

(With ANI inputs)