The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Monday sent businessman Dinesh Arora to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with its ongoing probe in the Delhi excise policy case.
Arora, who was represented by the Enforcement Directorate, was arrested on July 6 and his remand period ended today.
During the court hearing, Arora filed an interim bail plea on the grounds of his wife’s health, and the matter has been scheduled for July 25.
The court also granted Arora’s plea for a separate jail, directing the authorities to house him in a facility where other accused individuals in this case are not confined.
Previously, Arora declared an approver in the case, is alleged to be a close associate of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, who is also an accused in the excise policy case and has been arrested by both the ED and the CBI. The ED has filed five charge sheets so far, and the CBI has also filed its first charge sheet in the case.
The investigation revolves around alleged irregularities in modifying the Excise Policy, extending undue favors to license holders, waiving or reducing license fees, and extending the L-1 license without proper approval.
The accused officials are alleged to have diverted illegal gains to themselves and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
The Excise Department’s decision to refund the Earnest Money Deposit and the waiver of license fees against the set rules, along with the alleged loss caused to the exchequer, form part of the allegations in the case.
The arrest and ongoing investigation have been conducted following recommendations from the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor and findings from the Delhi Chief Secretary’s report regarding prima facie violations of relevant acts and rules.