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'What Is Your Relationship With Vijay Nair': Anurag Thakur Asks 'Excise Scam Kingpin' Arvind Kejriwal

Anurag Thakur raised questions over Arvind Kejriwal's alleged relationship with Vijay Nair, an AAP functionary arrested in Delhi Excise Policy Case. 

'What Is Your Relationship With Vijay Nair': Anurag Thakur Asks 'Excise Scam Kingpin' Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Union I&B and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday termed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the kingpin of the Delhi excise policy case. Thakur raised questions over Kejriwal's alleged relationship with Vijay Nair, an AAP functionary arrested in Delhi Excise Policy Case. "My question is to the kingpin, who is 'V' & who received message that 'V needs money'. Arvind Kejriwal, what is your relationship with Vijay Nair & was he present the policy was being drafted?..." Thakur said while addressing media. Sisodia was arrested on February 26 by the CBI in a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

Since Sisodia's arrest, several BJP leaders have alleged that Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin of the alleged scam. The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Sisodia, 51, at the Tihar Jail on Thursday.

A special court sent Sisodia to Enforcement Directorate's custody till March 17 after the agency produced him before a special court on Friday. ED claimed that Manish Sisodia "conspired" with others to frame a faulty excise policy in order to generate kickbacks and proceeds of crime to the tune of more than Rs 290 crore.

Also Read: 'Manish Sisodia Generated Rs 290 cr Of Tainted Funds In The Delhi Excise 'Scam': ED

Sisodia, it said, "Conspired with other persons and actively involved in formation of faulty policy against kickbacks...Sisodia has played role in generation, transfer, concealment of the proceeds of crime and projected the same as untainted."

Giving a small tabular column on the note, the ED claimed while Rs 100 crore was received as "kickbacks" from the 'South Group' of liquor cartel, an accused company in the case, Indospirits, made a profit of Rs 192.8 crore which was "proceeds of crime" generated through the irregularities made in the excise policy 2021-22.

The policy was scrapped after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor raised a red flag and asked the CBI to investigate. The ED took cognisance of the CBI FIR to slap a case of money laundering against Sisodia and others.

The agency also claimed Sisodia gave "false" statements to it during his questioning in the Tihar jail on March 7 and March 9. He was in judicial custody after the CBI arrested him late last month in the related corruption case.

"On being asked about his association with Dinesh Arora (another accused), who handled the transfer of kickbacks from the South Group to Vijay Nair (AAP functionary arrested in the case), he (Sisodia) gave an answer contrary to what has been revealed by independent persons/stakeholders," the ED alleged.

It said Sisodia got the policy formulated and implemented in "such a way" so as to allow illegal gains to certain persons/ entities against kickbacks.