Liquor scam: Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain to be questioned inside prison tomorrow

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain (File image)

A special CBI Court Judge Geetanjali Goel on September 15 passed an order for Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to interrogate jailed Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain tomorrow, after ED sought three dates to question him in the alleged liquor scam case, news agency ANI reported.

Jain is currently in Delhi's Tihar jail in connection with a money-laundering case, which is also being probed by the ED.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a case against alleged corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy was subsequently withdrawn by the AAP government.

Last month, the CBI filed a case against Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others for alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of Delhi. The policy, implemented from November 17, 2021, was withdrawn after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe in July.

The ED initiated a probe in the case, under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR that has named Sisodia and 14 others in the excise case.

The CBI had conducted raids in the case on August 19, covering the Delhi residences of Sisodia (50), IAS officer and former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and 19 other locations across seven states and Union Territories.

The central probe agency alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy, extending undue favours to the licencees, waiver/reduction in licence fee, extension of L-1 license without approval.