Delhi liquor scam: ED mentions AAP MP Raghav Chadha in chargesheet

New Delhi, May 02: On Tuesday, Enforcement Directorate (ED) hinted at AAP MP Raghav Chadha's name in its second supplementary chargesheet in the Delhi liquor policy case. 

Former chief minister Manish Sisodia's former secretary, C Arvind, said that the probe agency that there was a meeting organised at the former deputy Chief Minister's residence where Raghav Chadha was also present. As per to C Arvind's statement, the meeting was also attended by Punjab Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam, Vijay Nair, an accused in the case, and other officers from the Punjab Excise Directorate.

Also Read: Jailed gangster Tillu Tajpuriya allegedly killed by rival gang members in Tihar Jail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made serious allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia in connection with the excise policy of the Delhi government for 2021-22. This comes shortly after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named Sisodia as an accused in its supplementary chargesheet filed before a CBI court in Delhi. Sisodia had been arrested by the probe agency in February after eight hours of questioning related to the case.

The ED alleges that the excise policy granted licenses to certain liquor traders who had paid bribes for it, a charge that has been strongly denied by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The policy was later cancelled. In its supplementary chargesheet, the ED stated that the new liquor policy was Kejriwal's idea, and he and Sisodia provided immunity to Vijay Nair to engage in illegal activities while framing and implementing the policy.

The central probe agency also accused K Kavitha, a leader of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party (BRS), of meeting Sameer Mahendru, a liquor trader and accused in the case, at her residence in Hyderabad in 2022. The meeting was attended by other accused in the case, including businessmen Sarath Chandra Reddy and Abhishek Boinpally, and Kavitha's alleged frontman Arun Pillai. All of them have been arrested in connection with the case. Kavitha's husband Anil was also present at the meeting, according to the ED. The chargesheet states that Mahendru told the ED that Kavitha referred to Arun Pillai as a family member.

The ED also claims that Arun Pillai and Amandeep Dhall, another accused, destroyed digital evidence on a large scale. The accused are said to have destroyed a large number of phones, which could not be recovered during the agency's searches.

Also Read: Sharad Pawar steps down as NCP president | A timeline of his political journey