Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia leaves from Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed supplementary chargesheet against former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Arjun Pandey and Butchi Babu Gorantla in the Delhi excise policy case, a CBI official said on Tuesday (April 25).
On March 9, the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Mr. Sisodia on money-laundering charge. Earlier, the CBI arrested him on February 26 for alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped policy.
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On August 17, 2022, the CBI had registered a case against Mr. Sisodia and 14 others on a reference from the Union Home Ministry. It was alleged that the excise policy had been modified to extend undue favours to the beneficiary licence holders; licence fee was waived or reduced; and L-1 (wholesaler) licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval.
As alleged, the then Aam Aadmi Party communication and media in-charge Vijay Nair, on behalf of AAP leaders, received ₹100 crore as “kickbacks” in advance from a “South Group” whose prominent entities were YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, TRS MLC K. Kavitha and Aurobindo Pharma director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy.
‘False representation’
The group partners were allegedly given 65% stakes in Mahandru’s Indo Spirits for the recovery of payments. The stakes were controlled through “false representation, concealment of true ownership and proxies”.
According to the CBI’s first chargesheet, the wholesale distribution of Pernod Ricard and Diageo was to go to Indo Spirits and Brindco Spirits, respectively. After getting the money back, the 6% kickbacks received from wholesalers was to be shared equally between Mr. Nair and Hyderabad-businessman Abhishek Boinpally.
Based on the CBI case, the ED is conducting a money laundering probe. Its chargesheet alleges that a part of the alleged kickbacks was diverted through “hawala” channels for the AAP’s poll campaign in the 2022 Goa Assembly election.
The ED has alleged that the “South Group” members were represented by co-accused Arun Pillai, Mr. Boinpally and chartered accountant Butchi Babu Gorantla. The new excise policy extended an extraordinarily high 12%, profit margin for wholesalers and almost 185% profit margin for the retailers. As decided, half of the 12% margin was to be collected from the wholesalers.
The agency also alleges that a part of the profits from Indo Spirits was transferred to Mr. Pillai. This apart, ₹1.70 crore from the Indo Spirits profits directly went to India Ahead and Andhra Prabha Publications, in which Mr. Boinpally allegedly had a financial interest.