CBI opposes plea by bizman in excise case

New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday opposed a plea filed by businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall, an accused in the Delhi Excise policy case, challenging his prosecution. The agency questioned the petition's maintainability and pointed out that Dhall came to court after two years.Following a brief hearing on initial submissions, justice Vikas Mahajan asked the special public prosecutor for CBI to file a note on maintainability and listed the matter for hearing on March 19. CBI submitted that the cognizance order could have been challenged, adding that the accused wants the order quashed two years after cognizance was taken.In his plea, Dhall submitted that he was not part of the conspiracy with the other accused people. When the high court sought to know why Dhall only challenged the chargesheet and the summoning order but not the FIR, his counsel submitted that they were challenging the chargesheet and summoning order, not the FIR, as it had culminated in a chargesheet.He further submitted that in 2023, CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against Dhall. Next, cognizance was taken, and summons were issued. The probe was completed only in July 2024, and a supplementary chargesheet was also filed.