AAP asks where is 'liquor scam' money; here's what investigators have to say

New Delhi: The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in their investigation into the irregularities in the implementation of excise policy in the national capital has alleged that prime accused Vijay Nair on behalf of leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore from a group of people which sleuths have termed the “South Group”.

हिंदी में पढ़ें: शराब घोटाला हुआ तो पैसा कहां है? CBI-ED ने दिया AAP को ये जवाब

Arvind Kejriwal's deputy Manish Sisodia is in CBI custody till March 4 in the alleged liquor scam.

The alleged South Group consisted of Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Raghav Magunta, Sarath Reddy and K Kavitha (daughter of the TRS chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao).

The agencies claim that the South Group was represented by Abhishek Boinpally, Arun Pillai and Buchi Babu. 

Boinpally facilitated the transfer of Rs 100 crore kickback in connivance and conspiracy with Vijay Nair and Sisodia's associate Dinesh Arora, it was alleged.

The ED claimed that these funds were used in the election campaign of the AAP for the Goa assembly elections.  

AAP has denied all the charges calling it a political witch hunt using agencies like CBI and ED.

Also read: Excise policy was vehicle of corruption for top AAP leadership, claim investigators⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The CBI in its probe found that Nair allegedly received payment of Rs 20 to 30 crore from his co-accused Abhishek Boinpally in particular between July and September 2021 through the hawala channel in cash.

The agency alleges that Boinpally used to call Nair’s associate and co-accused Dinesh Arora to tell him a phone number and currency note number for further forwarding it to the team of Vijay Nair and also informing Nair about the same.

“Vijay Nair instructed the employees of Pernod Ricard India Pvt Ltd through messages and conversations over the phone as well as in person that Pernod Ricard India Pvt Ltd should not give its wholesale distributorship to M/s Brindco Sales Pvt. Limited as M/S Diageo is going to award its wholesale distributorship to M/s Brindco Sales Pvt Limited,” states a case document.

The agency said when some of the accused persons applied for the L1 license under the name of Indo Spirits Marketing Pvt Ltd, there were certain complaints mentioning cartelisation and Ernest Money Deposit cross-funding against Indo Spirits and its promoter Sameer Mahandru. The Excise officials issued a Show Cause Notice but only partially covered the issues in the complaint with an intention of deliberately favouring the entity.

The ED states that the South Group allegedly had a stake of 65 per cent in Mahandru’s Indo Spirits.

The CBI alleged that the excise officials granted the L1 license to Indo Spirits of Mahandru without properly processing the file and collecting the requisite documents as well as without properly addressing the complaint against Indo spirits in lieu of Rs 30 lakh as bribe.

The agency also states that Abhishek Boinpally had allegedly threatened Jagbir Sidhu of Diageo to withdraw various complaints and petitions filed anonymously or pseudonymously which he believed to have been filed by Aman Dhall of Brindco, who was the wholesaler for Diageo. 

Boinpally claimed that he would blacklist Diageo from the nine retail zones he was managing or was a part of. And that, he will get the wholesale license of his wholesale distributor Brindco Sales cancelled from the Excise Department.

The agency also alleged that part of the profits accrued from Indo Spirits has been transferred to Arun Pillai, which was basically a recovery of the kickback given in advance. And another part of the sum allegedly reached Abhishek Boinpally through Gautam Mootha of India Ahead and Andhra Prabha Publications.

The agency said this amount is now being claimed as a loan reversal from Gautam Mootha to Abhishek Boinpally however there is no loan agreement between them.