Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha has paid a Rs 100 crore bribe to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party to gain control over the liquor business in Delhi, as alleged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its chargesheet.
The investigating agency has also named Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the AAP’s Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh in its report, which was filed before a special judge at the Rouse Avenue District Court.
The ED also alleged that YSR Congress MP Magunta Srinivasula Reddy had also met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding the liquor business. It claimed that the “South Group” comprising three persons – Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha, Aurobindo Pharma’s Sarath Chandra Reddy, and Lok Sabha MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy – was one of the biggest beneficiaries in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
The policy, which has now been scrapped after allegations of money laundering and corruption, is under investigation by two central agencies – the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Conspiracy To Monopolise Delhi’s Liquor Business
The ED has alleged that the entire conspiracy was hatched between liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru, K Kavitha, and the AAP’s Vijay Nair.
In a sensational revelation, the agency has alleged that irregularities were committed by the Delhi government, to benefit local liquor firm Indospirit.
According to the Indian Express, Indospirit MD Sameer Mahendru was approached by Arun Pillai, one of the members of the South Group, to get involved in Delhi’s new liquor policy and hijack the entire booze business in the national capital. Pillai, who is believed to be a close ally of Kavitha, met Mahendru and expressed his interest in his company for the business.
According to the chargesheet, initially, Mahendru was not ready to enter into this partnership but later agreed when Pillai told him that he was associated with Kavitha.
The ED further added that Kavitha had spoken to Mahendru about this matter in September 2021, congratulating him on “the Delhi business” and expressing that she was “happy that they have partnered up”. The agency informed that Kavitha and a partner together hold about 65 percent stake of Indospirit.
“100 Crore Bribe To AAP”
The chargehseet claims that Mahendru and Vijay Nair, the current communications in-charge of the AAP, conspired with the so-called South Group.
The ED has said that an amount of Rs 100 crores was given in advance to Nair to facilitate the business for Indospirit in Delhi.
It has also claimed in its chargesheet that a total loss of Rs 2,873 crores was caused to the exchequer due to the excise policy prepared by the AAP leaders, some of whom are still part of the government.
Destroyed Evidence
Earlier this month, the CBI had served a notice to Kavitha for a probe in the Delhi liquor scam.
ED officials also found the mobile phones destroyed by Kavitha, Srujan Reddy, Arun Pillai, Abhishek Boinapally, Butchi Babu Gorantla, and Sarath Reddy.
The ED claimed that Kavitha changed her phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) six times after the case was handed over to the agency.
It is still investigating Delhi’s excise policy, believed to have been introduced by the Kejriwal government last year in November, to allow private firms to run liquor shops in the national capital.
