Guwahati: Businessman Dinesh Arora who is one of the defendants in the Delhi Excise Policy case stated on Monday that he is prepared to freely disclose his involvement in the case in full and that he has decided on an approver.
He said, “I am ready to make a voluntary and true disclosure with respect to my role in the commission of the alleged offences. I have also cooperated in the investigation of the case by CBI and have made true statements before the Investigation officer. I have also made a confessional statement before the ACMM regarding facts and events pertaining to the commission of alleged offences”.
Arora said, “I have seen CBI’s application and it has been filed with the request of the grant of pardon to me as I am ready to voluntarily make a true and full disclosure of all the facts pertaining to this case as the same are within my knowledge.”
“I request to be granted a pardon in this case. I have agreed without any pressure, undue influence or coaxing by CBI or any other. I am also ready to abide by all the terms and conditions which the court may impose upon me, added the Arora,” Arora added.
He replied to court’s query that there was no coercion or threats from the CBI or anyone else to carry out this.
He requested a pardon under the right circumstances, and the court took note of the fact that he was willing to reveal all the information he knew about the case’s facts and circumstances.
Arora’s attorney also made a motion for closed-door hearings, arguing that it is a delicate situation and the media should be kept out at this early point on Monday. The request for private hearings is not opposed by CBI. Later in the evening, according to the court, the incamera order will be issued.
Dinesh Arora’s testimony and submissions were noted by Special Judge MK Nagpal, who on Monday postponed the case until November 14.
Arguments in support of Arora’s pardon application. He willingly asked for a pardon and agreed to reveal all the information he knew about the case, according to the court and he did so without coercion or undue influence from CBI or anybody else.
In the Delhi Excise Policy Case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) requested that businessman Dinesh Arora an accused serve as an approver/witness by using a 306 Crpc motion.
Dinesh Arora was recently granted anticipatory release by the same court after the CBI decided not to object to the bail request in the case.
The court took note of the CBI’s assertion in its response to the anticipatory bail request that the applicant had aided the investigation and provided information that was crucial to it; as a result, the CBI had no objections to the anticipatory bail being granted to the applicant by this court.
While the applicant is one of the accused who is named in the FIR and further considering the fact that he is alleged to have made some statements before the Investigation Officer (IO) that are self-inculpatory in nature, the court further noted that, even though from the contents of the reply filed by the CBI, no immediate suspicions about the applicant’s arrest, in this case, appear to be made out.
In the event that the applicant has to be arrested in connection with this case in the future, it is mandated that he be granted bail after providing an IO with a personal bond for Rs. 1 lakh and one surety for the same value.
The court continued: “However, it is subject to the stipulation that he shall continue to join the investigation as and when he may be required to do so and will fully participate in the investigation.”
When the ED and CBI both arrested Sameer Mahendru and Vijay Nair, Arora’s anticipatory bail application was submitted.
Abhishek Boinpally, a businessman from Hyderabad, was later detained by the CBI as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in the formulation and application of the excise policy of the GNCTD of Delhi.
Businessman Vijay Nair, the former CEO of the event management firm Only Much Louder, was detained by the CBI on September 27 as part of an inquiry into the Delhi Excise Policy scandal.
Eight private individuals were named as defendants in the Excise Policy case when the CBI issued a Lookout Circular (LOC) against them in August.
Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, Deputy Commissioner Anand Tiwari, and Assistant Commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar are among the accused public officials.
The others are Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Indospirit Group; Manoj Rai, a former Pernod Ricard employee; Buddy Retail and its directors Amit Arora and Dinesh Arora; Sunny Marwah, authorised signatory for Mahadev Liquors; and Arjun Pandey.