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The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday alleged that the accused in a Delhi liquor policy scam, including AAP leader Manish Sisodia, changed their phones several times and destroyed evidence.

The probe agency told a Delhi court that Manish Sisodia and Amit Arora, a Delhi businessman who was arrested on Wednesday, had used and changed 11 phones. These phones were used during the period of alleged liquor scam, ED told court. It further accused Manish Sisodia and Amit Arora of destroying evidence in the case.

“The magnitude of the destruction is such that most suspects, liquor barons, senior government officials, Excise Minister of Delhi (Manish Sisodia) and other suspects have changed their phones multiple times, where the approximate value of the devices used and destroyed comes to whooping sum of Rs. 1.38 crores approx,” the ED told Rouse Avenue court on Wednesday.

ED gets 7-day custody of businessman Amit Arora

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday was granted 7-day custody of businessman Amit Arora in connection with its probe into Delhi liquor policy scam. Amit Arora, a close associate of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, was arrested by the financial probe agency earlier today.

Following his arrest, Amir Arora was presented in the Rouse Avenue Court where the Enforcement Directorate sought his custody to interrogate him in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam.

The ED alleged that Arora was responsible for handling kickbacks. The probe agency claimed that Arora had received Rs 2.5 crore from a vendor.

In its remand application, the ED alleged that that the Delhi excise policy was created by leaders of AAP to “generate illegal funds at the cost of state government exchequer”. The central agency claimed that the Delhi excise policy was formulated with “deliberate loopholes and had inbuilt mechanism to facilitate illegal activities”.

The ED claimed that Amit Arora was in close contact with excise minister and had used inside knowledge to assist in excise scam. The Delhi businessman was also accused of fraudulently obtaining retail and wholesale licenses.

“Amit Arora arm twisted companies in Delhi and Punjab to surrender liquor licenses with help of Delhi government and Punjab government,” the Enforcement Directorate claimed in its application.

The central agency alleged that Punjab excise officials were also involved in pressurizing liquor manufacturers. The agency sought further custody of Amit Arora to interrogate him in connection with the case.

The court granted ED 7-day custody of Amit Arora on Wednesday.

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India today