Excise scam: Delhi Court allows Raghav Magunta to turn approver in CBI case

New Delhi [India], March 1 : Delhi Rouse Avenue Court has allowed Magunta Raghav Reddy, the son of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party's (YSRCP) MP from Ongole, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, to turn approver in the CBI case related to Delhi's excise policy case.
The special judge, MK Nagpal, in an order passed on Thursday, allowed Raghav's application to be moved under 306 CrPC, which sought court approval to turn approver and grant pardon in the said case.
Recently, the court granted anticipatory bail to Raghav and noted that the applicant/Raghav was not named specifically as an accused in the FIR of the case nor was any entity pertaining to him or his family members stated to have been named.
As per the reply filed by the CBI, he also cooperated in the investigation of the case and joined it as and when he was summoned for the said purpose. Further, he is also being stated to have disclosed some vital facts in his statements recorded U/S 161 CrPC and 164(2) CrPC, noted the Court.
"During the course of the investigation, which is even relevant for the ongoing further investigation, it is further stated in the above reply that no instance of influencing any witness in this case by the applicant has also been found. Hence, the CBI has not opposed the request made by the applicant for the grant of anticipatory bail to him," said the court while granting bail.
Raghav recently became the approver in the Delhi excise policy money laundering case which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. The court had also pardoned him in the case while allowing his plea to become an approver.
Delhi-based businessman Dinesh Arora had earlier been the approver in the case. The court had declared Arora to be an approver in the same case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Raghav was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 10 of last year in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.
ED earlier stated that Raghav is one of the key person in the conspiracy of cartelisation and kickbacks hatched along with various persons in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 scam. Raghav Magunta is the owner of liquor manufacturing units in the name of M/s Enrica Enterprises Pvt Ltd located in Chennai.
He controlled 2 retail zones in the name of M/s Magunta Agro Farms Pvt Ltd directly in contravention of the Excise Policy 2021-22, where a manufacturer was not permitted to hold either retail or wholesale operations.
Raghav, being part of the South Group, was part and beneficiary of the conspiracy in which the South Group paid Rs 100 cr approx., to the AAP, said ED.
Last year, the ED and the CBI registered cases alleging 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.