The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought permission from the court to make Arora, currently on anticipatory bail, an approver in the case. The probe agency did not oppose his bail plea.
Court will decide on November 14 whether to allow the CBI to make businessman Dinesh Arora an approver in the Delhi excise policy case.
Special judge M K Nagpal will also hear arguments on Arora’s plea to grant him pardon in the matter and allow him to become a witness in the matter.
During the hearing, the accused told the court that he was ready to make “true disclosure voluntarily” about the case and that he wanted to be an approver in the case.
“There is no pressure or threats by the CBI or anyone else,” he said in response to the court’s query.
Arora’s counsel also moved an application for in-camera proceedings, saying it is a sensitive matter and the media should be kept out at this early stage.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did not oppose the application for the in-camera proceedings.
The court had earlier granted anticipatory bail to Arora after the probe agency did not oppose the bail plea.
The CBI, in its reply to the anticipatory bail plea, had stated that Arora joined the investigation and disclosed certain facts which were vital for the probe and hence, “the CBI has no objection if the anticipatory bail is granted to the applicant by this court”.
Earlier on Friday, the CBI had opposed the bail plea of Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally who was arrested in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying he can tamper with evidence if released. The Central Bureau of Investigation made the submission in response to Boinpally’s bail application filed before special judge M K Nagpal.
He was part of a conspiracy in pursuance of which he transferred money through hawala channels to co-accused Vijay Nair through another co-accused Dinesh Arora prior to the implementation of the now-withdrawn excise policy during the period from November 2021 to July 2022, the agency had said.
In August, the CBI had registered a case in the excise policy scam and issued a look out circular (LOC) against eight people named as accused in the case.
Among the accused public servants are Sisodia, then excise commissioner Arva Gopi Krishna, deputy commissioner Anand Tiwari and assistant commissioner Pankaj Bhatnagar.
(With inputs from agencies)
