ED arrests former Punjab MLA's son in Delhi excise policy 'scam'

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Ranjan

New Delhi, February 8

The ED has arrested Punjab-based businessman Gautam Malhotra, son of former SAD MLA and liquor baron Deep Malhotra, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, officials said today.

The officials alleged that Gautam Malhotra, promoter of the Oasis group of Punjab, was “evasive” in his replies. His role with regard to the charges of cartelisation in the implementation of the excise policy formulated by the Delhi Government has been under the agency’s radar. The businessman will be produced before a Delhi court.

Malhotra’s liquor manufacturing and distribution business is spread across Punjab and some other regions like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, officials said, adding that the ED had raided premises linked to the business group last year in Punjab’s Faridkot and some other locations.

The excise policy 2021-22 was scrapped in August last year after controversies hit the headlines following Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena asking for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities. The ED’s case under the PMLA is based on the CBI FIR which has named Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia among 14 others.

The ED, till now, has filed two chargesheets or prosecution complaints in this case and has arrested seven persons, including Gautam Malhotra.

The ED has alleged a part of the alleged Rs 100 crore “kickbacks” generated in the scrapped excise policy was “used” in the 2022 Goa Assembly election campaign of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

BRS leader Kavitha’s former CA held

The CBI has arrested a Hyderabad-based chartered accountant, who is learnt to have been a former auditor of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha, in connection with the Delhi excise policy ‘scam’ case. He was sent to the agency’s custody till February 11. TNS