IN THE COURT OF SH. JITENDRA SINGH, SPECIAL JUDGE (PC ACT) (CBI)-23,(MPs/ MLAs CASES)

ROUSE AVENUE COURT COMPLEX: NEW DELHI CBI Case No. 56/2022 CBI Vs. KULDEEP SINGH AND OTHERS CNR No. DLCT11-000733-2022 FIR No. RC0032022A0053 PS CBI, ACB, New Delhi In the matter of:-

Central Bureau of Investigation CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003.

Versus A-1 Kuldeep Singh A-2 Narender Singh A-3 Vijay Nair A-4 Abhishek Boinpally A-5 Arun Ramchandra Pillai A-6 Mootha Goutam A-7 Sameer Mahendru A-8 Manish Sisodia A-9 Amandeep Singh Dhall A-10 Arjun Pandey A-11 Butchibabu Gorantla A-12 Rajesh Joshi A-13 Damodar Prasad Sharma

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A-14 Prince Kumar A-15 Arvind Kumar Singh A-16 Chanpreet Singh Rayat A-17 Kavitha Kalvakuntla @ K. Kavitha A-18 Arvind Kejriwal A-19 Durgesh Pathak A-20 Amit Arora A-21 Vinod Chauhan A-22 Ashish Chand Mathur A-23 Sarath Chandra Reddy (a) Date of institution of case : 25.11.2022 (b) Date on which order reserved : 12.02.2026 (c) Date on which order pronounced : 27.02.2026 ORDER ON CHARGE Introduction:

1. At the outset, it is appropriate to record that the investigating agency, namely the Central Bureau of Investigation (hereinafter referred to as “CBI”), has filed one principal charge-sheet together with four supplementary charge-sheets in the present matter. For the purposes of clarity, uniformity and ease of reference, the accused persons, as enumerated hereinabove, shall hereinafter referred to as Accused Nos. “A-1 to A-23” respectively, unless the context otherwise requires. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 shall

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hereinafter referred to as “PC Act, 1988”. M/S Brindco Sales Private Limited shall be referred to as “M/S BSPL”, M/S Khao Gali Restaurant Private Limited as “ M/S KGRL”, Pernod Ricard India Private Limited as “M/S PRI”, and the code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 as “Cr. P.C.”

2. The allegations sought to be projected by the CBI, as emanating from the aforesaid charge-sheet and the supplementary charge-sheets, are set out and examined in the paragraphs that follow. It is clarified that the facts set out in the chargesheets are noted herein in brief. The detailed particulars, with requisite specificity, shall be examined under the respective heads of allegations while evaluating and analyzing the material placed on record by the Investigating Agency and the role attributed to each accused.

Main Charge sheet, dated 24.11.2022 (filed on 25.11.2022)

3. According to the prosecution, as set out in FIR No.

RC0032022A0053 dated 17.08.2022, lodged by CBI/ACB, New Delhi on the complaint of Shri Praveen Kumar Rai, Director, Ministry of Home Affairs, certain public servants of the Excise Department, GNCTD, acting in concert with private individuals and liquor businessmen, entered into a criminal conspiracy during the framing and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 (hereinafter referred to as “DEP-21/22”). It is alleged that this arrangement was intended to secure unlawful pecuniary advantage for themselves and

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for favoured private entities, thereby attracting offences under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (hereinafter referred to as “IPC”) read with Sections 7, 7A and 8 of the PC Act, 1988.

4. The policy, brought into force on 05.07.2021, is stated to have been designed to curb monopoly and cartel formation by separating the functions of manufacturer, wholesaler (L-1 licensee) and retail zone licensee. The tender conditions barred wholesalers from holding or funding retail licences and imposed restrictions on entities with overlapping directors or controlling shareholding across manufacturing, wholesale or retail entities. Retail zones were to be allotted by e-tender against substantial participation fees and Earnest Money Deposits (hereinafter referred to as “EMD”), and a Tender Evaluation Committee (hereinafter referred to as “TEC”) was constituted for scrutiny