Excise case: Delhi court takes cognizance of ED's two prosecution complaints

New Delhi [India], May 1 : The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Monday took cognizance of two prosecution complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in money laundering case pertaining to the alleged Liquor excise policy scam.
The prosecution complaints were against Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Rajesh Joshi, Amandeep Dhal, Gautam Malhotra, Raghav Magunta and related entities.
The Special Judge MK Nagpal on Monday took cognizance of the chargesheets (Prosecution Complaints) and directed to produce all naming accused on May 10, 2023.
Further investigation is continuing to investigate the role of the accused name in ECIR and other persons on various allegations, the court informed the ED.
Advocates Zohaib Hossain and Naveen Kumar Matta appeared for Enforcement Directorate.
ED stated that there is sufficient evidence on record to establish the charge of commission of the offence of Money Laundering against these accused.
Earlier, the first supplementary chargesheet named 12 accused identified as Vijay Nair, Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally, Amit Arora and 7 companies. The first chargesheet was filed by the ED in the case against Sameer Mahendru and his related firms.
The ED has yet to file the chargesheet against Delhi's former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia who was arrested on March 9, 2023.
Punjab-based businessman Gautam Malhotra is the son of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA and liquor baron Deep Malhotra. Raghav Magunta is the son of Ongole Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, a member of the YSR Congress Party and Rajesh Joshi is the owner of Chariot Production Media Pvt Ltd.
Joshi had run the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) campaign during the 2022 Goa Assembly polls.
In the ED case, Businessman Amandeep Singh Dhal was arrested on March 1 and Hydrabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai was arrested on March 6, 2023.
According to the ED, Aman Singh Dhall a Delhi-based businessman has conspired with other persons and is actively involved in the formation of policy and facilitating kickbacks to AAP and its recoupment by the South Group through various means.
Arun Ramchandra Pillai a Hydrabad-based Businessman was arrested by ED for allegations that he collected bribes from another accused, Sameer Mahendru, managing director of lndospirit and handed it over to the other accused.
The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
The FIR in the case was instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.