Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, currently lodged in Tihar Jail, was today questioned by the Enforcement Directorate inside the prison premises in connection with the agency’s money-laundering probe into irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
ED officials visited Tihar Jail and recorded Jain’s statement as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, reported news agency PTI.
The ED had secured permission for questioning Jain in jail from a special CBI court in Delhi on Thursday. The court has authorised the agency to question Jain on September 16, 22 and 23.
Also Read: After Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal claims BJP approached 10 Punjab AAP MLAs
Jain, who has previously held the Health and Power portfolios in the Arvind Kejriwal Cabinet, was arrested by the ED on May 30 this year in a separate case linked to alleged Hawala dealings.
PTI reports, citing official sources, that Jain’s questioning by the ED was to understand the approvals granted by the AAP government for implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
Implemented on November 17, 2021, the Delhi excise policy was withdrawn in July this year after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into its implementation.
Also Read: De-recognise AAP: Ex-bureaucrats, diplomats write to CEC
Jain’s questioning came on a day the ED raided as many as 40 locations across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka besides Delhi-NCR linked to the Delhi excise policy case. The ED’s case in the matter emanates from a case first registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation on the L-G’s recommendation.
The CBI, which raided the residence of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on August 19, has named him as an accused in its FIR. Several other bureaucrats, including former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and private individuals have been named as accused in the FIR.
The ED is probing if there were any irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.