The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said that the controversial Delhi excise policy was leaked to certain liquor companies way before the policy could come into effect. In its investigation, ED found that Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and several other VIPs changed around 140 mobile phones in order to destroy digital evidence. ED informed about these findings to a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.
Notably, ED arrested two executives of private liquor companies allegedly involved in the case. Benoy Babu, Delhi regional head of French wine company Pernod Ricard, and P Sarath Chandra Reddy, whole-time director of Aurobindo Pharma Ltd have been arrested.
Soon after the arrest of P Sharath Chandra Reddy, Aurobindo Pharma claimed before the stock exchange that Reddy has not been in any way connected with the operations of the Pharma company or its subsidiaries.
Earlier in September, ED arrested Sameer Mahendru, managing director of liquor manufacturer, Indospirit.
ED told the PMLA court while seeking remand of the arrested executives, “Under the influence of accused persons, the Delhi government/excise department allowed the formation and operation of cartels although enough data was readily available on public platforms to indicate cartelization by the majority of licence holders.”
“This was done in exchange for bribes and kickbacks to Delhi excise officials and people in the Delhi government,” the federal agency stated.
Several people questioned by ED during the investigation “have revealed that a bribe to the time of Rs 100 crore was given in advance for undue advantages to select enterprises to operate in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22,”
ED also found that kickbacks and bribes were demanded and accepted by Delhi excise officials for the opening of retail shops in Delhi.
140 phones changed
According to the agency, “34 important individuals suspected to be involved in the excise scam have changed a total of 140 phones (worth approximately Rs 1.20 crore) with the intention of destroying digital evidence during the relevant time period.”
ED claimed that the suspected individuals include all of the main accused, liquor barons, senior government officials, the Delhi excise minister, and other suspects. “The timing of phone changes suggests that these phones were mostly changed shortly after the scam surfaced,” ED said.
Notably, the minister for finance and education, Manish Sisodia also held the excise charge.
The agency stated that it has evidence that the policy was “leaked” to certain liquor manufacturers on May 31, 2021, and then made public two months later on July 5, 2021.
The agency also claimed that excise officials granted “a large number” of approvals to L1 wholesalers “after working hours or late at night.”
Cartelisation, monopoly
The ED has alleged that Benoy Babu played an important role in carrying out the Delhi liquor scam in collusion with Sameer Mahendru and others to form and nexus and establish their monopoly in the market through unethical ways.
The agency stated that it has conducted 169 searches in this case since taking cognizance of a CBI FIR that was registered on the recommendation of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
Bhartiya Janata Party has accused Manish Sisodia of attempting to sabotage the ongoing investigation. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to Twitter and shared a video message and wrote, “Despite being an accused no.1 in Sharab Ghotala – Dy CM Manish Sisodia was seeking access of Sharab Ghotala – this is clear cut proof of an attempt to sabotage the probe! Sisodia should have been sacked long back but now his continuation is untenable after this abuse of position.”
Despite being an accused no.1 in Sharab Ghotala – Dy CM Manish Sisodia was seeking access of Sharab Ghotala – this is clear cut proof of attempt to sabotage the probe! Sisodia should have been sacked long back but now his continuation is untenable after this abuse of position pic.twitter.com/H6yVKMDPVY
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) November 10, 2022
On November 5, the Enforcement Directorate questioned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant, Devendra Sharma.
Interestingly, on November 7, Dinesh Arora who is a co-accused in the scam and a close aide of Manish Sisodia turned approver. According to the FIR, co-accused Sameer Mahendru transferred Rs 1 crore to Dinesh Arora’s Radha Industries bank account.
All of the accused were charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of accounts), as well as Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
