A Delhi court on Monday heard the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea to make businessman Dinesh Arora, an accused in the Delhi excise policy case, a witness. During the hearing, Arora sought pardon in the case and said he has made the confessional statement under Section 164 (Recording of confessions and statements) of the CrPC.
Dinesh Arora said that he was ready to make “true disclosure voluntarily” about the case and that he wanted to be an approver in the case. The Delhi court will now hear the application seeking pardon in the case on November 14.
“There is no pressure or threats by the CBI or anyone else,” he said in response to the court’s query.
A few days ago, the same court had granted anticipatory bail to Dinesh Arora, a close aide of Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, 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 vital for the investigation; hence, the CBI has no objection if the anticipatory bail is granted to the applicant by this court.
Taking the oath of honesty and truth on Monday, Dinesh Arora told the Delhi court that he is ready to give voluntary disclosure about his involvement in the alleged offences. “I have earlier cooperated during the investigation of the case by the CBI,” Arora said.
“I have also made a confessional statement under 164 CrPC before IO. ACMM [Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate] about the facts and events pertaining to the alleged offences. I may kindly be granted pardon in this case,” Arora added.
Among the accused public servants are Sisodia, then excise commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, deputy commissioner Anand Tiwari and assistant commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.
Arora’s anticipatory bail application was moved when Vijay Nair was arrested by the CBI and Sameer Mahendru was arrested by the ED. It has been alleged that Mahendru transferred around Rs 1 crore in the account of Radha Industries which is reportedly owned by Arora.
Mahendru, on behalf of Vijay Nair, the former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management firm (an accused in CBI’s FIR), allegedly paid around Rs 2 to 4 crore to Arjun Pandey, another associate of Sisodia.
The CBI had also arrested Hydrabad-based Businessman Abhishek Boinpally in ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD of Delhi.
The ED is now collecting the documentary and digital evidence to nail the money trail in money laundering.
The excise scheme came under the scanner after the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi’s Excise Policy 2021-22. The LG had also suspended 11 excise officials.
(With PTI inputs)
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment