Team News Riveting
New Delhi, December 21
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy was formulated to provide monetary benefits to some AAP politicians and the accused “formed a cartel” with the “South Group” controlled by Telangana chief minister’s daughter K Kavitha and YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy among others.
Kavitha, who is an MLC, termed the allegations as “completely bogus and a result of “the BJP’s political vendetta”. Earlier this month, a team of CBI officials had quizzed her in Hyderabad and recorded her statement in the case.
Denying the ED’s allegations, Kavitha tweeted, “The accusations against me are completely bogus and false. Only time will prove my sincerity. It’s a political vendetta of the BJP as they fear BRS Party chief and CM KCR (K Chandrasekhar Rao) Ji’s expose on their anti-farmer and pro-capitalist policies.”
The ED’s allegations figured in its prosecution complaint (equivalent to a Police charge sheet) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) filed against arrested accused Sameer Mahandru, the promoter of Indo Spirits and four firms linked to him.
A special PMLA court here took cognisance of the ED complaint on Tuesday.
The ED furnished the statement of Sameer Mahandru, who has been accused by the agency of forming a “super cartel”, and others to allege the South Group “controlled stakes in Indo Spirits through false representation, concealment and proxies” of individuals identified as Arun Pillai and Prem Rahul.
“The partnership was through the proxies and was not genuine. Mahandru never met one of his partners, Prem Rahul who has a 32.5 percent stake in Indo Spirits,” the ED alleged. It claimed that Mahandru, in collusion with others, “formed a cartel” of retailer-wholesaler-manufacturer.
The federal agency alleged that the ‘South Group’ has given kickbacks of approximately Rs 100 crore to Vijay Nair (AAP media in-charge) in exchange for favours and undue benefits to them in the liquor business in Delhi.
