Excise duty scam: Centre suspends former Delhi commissioner, his deputy

New Delhi, Aug 22: The Centre on Monday suspended the then excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and deputy commissioner Anand Tiwari named in the CBI case into alleged irregularities in Delhi's excise policy 2021-22.

"MHA suspends then Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and Dy Commissioner Anand Tiwari,days after Delhi Lt Gov VK Saxena approved suspension and initiation of disciplinary proceedings for "serious lapses" against 11 officers of Excise department in connection with Delhi Excise Policy2021-22," an official statement said.

The suspension order of the two officials came after they were named in the FIR filed by the CBI in the ongoing probe, officials said. While Krishna is a 2012 batch Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre officer, Tiwari is a 2003 Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Civil Service (DANICS) cadre officer.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is among the 15 individuals and entities named in the FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.

A liquor trader paid Rs 1 crore to a company managed by an associate of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the CBI has claimed in its FIR on alleged corruption in the framing and implementation of the excise policy 2021-22.

The agency on Friday carried out searches at 31 places including Sisodia's residence and premises of some bureaucrats, including Excise Commissioner Krishna and two other Excise Department officials, and businessmen.