Excise policy: ED questions Manish Sisodia's PA; conducts raids

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's personal assistant in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped excise policy, officials said.

It also conducted raids at 5 locations in Delhi-NCR in connection with the case. The agency is questioning Devendra Sharma and recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

His premises were searched and later he was brought to the ED office in central Delhi for questioning, officials said.

Sisodia claimed in a tweet that the probe agencies had foisted a ''false'' case against him and the ED raided his PA's house and ''arrested'' him.

The ED has conducted multiple raids in this case so far. In September, it arrested Sameer Mahandru, managing director of a liquor manufacturing company named Indospirit.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Sisodia as an accused among others.

The CBI had raided the premises of the deputy chief minister and some Delhi government bureaucrats after filing the case.

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.