Mapusa police in Goa have taken custody of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, in connection with alleged forgery to obtain an excise licence. This follows a devastating fire at the nightclub in December that resulted in 25 deaths.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday approved a new Excise Policy, permitting the sale of hard liquor through retail vends, reducing documents to obtain a licence from 16 to six and extending the liquor availability to four more districts.
A court in Goa has rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the fire-ravaged Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, in a case involving the alleged forgery of documents to obtain an excise licence.
The owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, have been granted bail in a forgery case related to the nightclub's operation. This follows their earlier bail in connection with the deadly fire at the club last December.
The Enforcement Directorate has attached properties worth over Rs 1,000 crore as part of its investigation into the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam, filing a fresh complaint against four additional accused.
The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids across Arunachal Pradesh, uncovering a large-scale interstate liquor smuggling and money laundering network.
Instances of non-functional CCTV cameras installed at some clubs, hotels and restaurants have come to the notice of the department's enforcement branch during inspections, they said.
The court noted that after an exhaustive review of voluminous documents and statements of nearly 300 witnesses over more than two months, there was no legally admissible material connecting the accused to any criminal misconduct.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has criticized the Maharashtra state excise department for operational lapses that led to a significant revenue shortfall. The report cites incorrect fee assessments, failure to implement revised rates, and other irregularities.
Goa excise commissioner Narayan Gad on Monday heard arguments over a complaint against a restaurant, which the Congress claimed was linked to Union minister Smriti Irani's daughter.
The outlet, 'Silly Souls Cafe and Bar', was at the centre of a raging controversy after the Congress last week alleged Union minister Smriti Irani's daughter was linked to the property, a charge rejected by the minister.
'If you want to force the press into blacking out the Opposition's views or colour the news to your own liking, we will not do so.' 'We stand by freedom of expression. It is our Constitutional right. We stand by our Constitutional right.'
The Delhi High Court has granted the Enforcement Directorate a final opportunity to argue against the bail granted to Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy-linked money laundering case, following objections from Kejriwal's counsel regarding repeated adjournments.
A deepening payment paralysis in Telangana's liquor industry is beginning to choke manufacturing units and strain supplies, employment, and the broader investment landscape, industry bodies have warned, as unpaid dues accumulate to levels they describe as "unprecedented" and "severe".
Social activist Aires Rodrigues during a hearing before Goa excise commissioner on Monday produced a lease agreement signed between the owners of a controversial restaurant in North Goa and a company allegedly linked to Union minister Smriti Irani's family.
Goa Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad on Thursday disallowed a complaint demanding suspension of the excise licence of a restaurant which the Congress claimed was linked to Union minister Smriti Irani's family.
Justice Surya Kant is set to become the 53rd Chief Justice of India, bringing extensive experience and a record of significant verdicts on key issues.
Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions challenging the denial of bail and against his arrest by the CBI in the corruption case filed by the central agency.
Special judge for Central Bureau of Investigation cases Kaveri Baweja took note of the charge sheet on Monday observing that there was sufficient evidence to proceed against her in the case.
The federal agency had arrested 46-year-old Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, from her Banjara hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15.
On Monday, Kejriwal, 55, skipped the seventh summons issued to him in the case, saying he would appear before the agency if a court ordered him to do so.
Sisodia was unhappy with the recommendations, so he asked the then excise commissioner Rahul Singh to seek public opinion by placing the Dhawan Committee report on web site, the agency alleged in the chargesheet.
In a statement, the lawyer of Irani's daughter, said his client is neither an owner nor operating the restaurant called Silly Souls Goa.
A senior excise official said that his department will now seal the bar and seize the stock.
One of the lawyers of the chief minister said that they will be seeking urgent listing of the petition on Monday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday raided the home of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 30 other locations in connection with alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.
A Delhi court on Friday sent Bharat Rasthra Samithi leader K Kavitha to Central Bureau of Investigation custody till April 15 in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.
The high court said he was a very powerful and influential person within the power corridors of the Delhi government as he had the responsibility of 18 portfolios in the city dispensation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may initiate a money laundering investigation over the framing and execution of the Aam Aadmi Party government's excise policy, official sources said on Friday after the Central Bureau of Investigation raided Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the matter.
No alcohol was served in bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels and none could be bought either as permits expired on July 31.
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday launched fresh raids in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, official sources said.
The police want to trace the youths as well as a minor seen in the viral video, it said in court.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti asked additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the two probe agencies, when will the arguments on charges against Sisodia commence in the trial court.
The report on the alleged liquor scam, a hot button issue in the run-up to the elections, claimed a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 941.53 crore, saying timely permissions were not taken for opening the liquor vends in non-conforming municipal wards.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to threaten liquor licensees and excise officials but the BJP alleged that the AAP government's 'rushed' move was an 'admission of violations and corruption' and it was 'scared' of the CBI probe.
The two federal agencies came in for some sharp criticism over the "fairness" of their investigation, with the apex court observing "Sorry to see this state of affairs".
He was first called by the federal agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose alleging that the notice was "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law".
The AAP claimed that Sisodia would be arrested on Monday and alleged the move was initiated in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Gujarat where it is in a direct contest with the BJP.
A Delhi court on Monday denied interim bail to Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha, arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, saying prima facie she not only destroyed evidence but was also instrumental in influencing witnesses and there is 'every likelihood' of her continuing to do so in case the relief is granted.
The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for exceeding its authority and misusing its powers. The latest rebuke came on Thursday, when the court accused the agency of 'crossing all limits' in a money laundering probe against a Tamil Nadu state-run liquor retailer. This follows a string of similar observations by the Supreme Court and high courts across India, raising concerns about the ED's investigative practices and the potential for misuse of its powers.
