New Delhi: The Central Investigation Agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made a sensational claim regarding Delhi's famous liquor scam. The ED has said that the excise policy of the Delhi government was leaked to some liquor manufacturers before it became public. Not only this, the ED claims that it has been found in the investigation that about 34 VIPs including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia changed about 140 mobile phones to erase the digital evidence. ED claims that a bribe of Rs 100 crore was given in this case.
According to media reports, the ED arrested two accused on Thursday in the Delhi liquor scam case. The ED produced the arrested French liquor company Pernod Ricard's Delhi regional head Binoy Babu and Aurobindo Pharma Ltd director P Sarath Chandra Reddy in the PMLA court. At the same time, Aurobindo Pharma Limited said in a note sent to the stock exchange that Reddy is not in any way associated with the operations of the company or its subsidiaries.
The ED has told the court that there is evidence that this policy was leaked to some liquor manufacturers on May 31 last year. Whereas it was made public two months later on July 5, 2021. Not only this, the investigating agency has claimed that Binoy Babu played a key role in the Delhi liquor scam and formed a nexus of manufacturers-wholesalers-retailers in unethical ways in association with liquor baron Sameer Mahendru and others. Delhi Government-Excise Department allowed this to happen in lieu of a bribe.
Not only this, the ED claimed that it has been found in the investigation that the Excise officials demanded and took bribes to open retail shops in Delhi. The ED said that 34 VIPs involved or suspected in the Excise scam changed a total of 140 phones to erase digital evidence. The investigating agency has informed that these people include all the main accused, liquor traders, senior government officials, Delhi Excise Minister and other suspects. These people changed their phones after the scam came to light. Regarding the role of Reddy, the investigating agency has claimed that he is the kingpin of the liquor scam and one of the main beneficiaries. The ED has told that this nexus and Reddy paid a bribe of Rs 100 crore through Vijay Nair, a businessman arrested earlier by the CBI in this case. The ED has told that Reddy planned and conspired with various businessmen, and politicians and took unreasonable steps to gain an undue advantage in Delhi's excise policy.
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