Liquorgate takes curious turn
Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha during a hunger strike seeking early passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday
Hyderabad: The Delhi liquorgate has taken a new turn on the eve of questioning of BRS MLC K Kavitha by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday.
The remand report of Manish Sisodia of AAP which was submitted to the court by the ED is said to have traced the genesis of this case to Hyderabad. The report once again mentioned the name of Kavitha.
According to it, Hyderabad is the main hub of discussions with South Group which were held at Hotel ITC Kohenur and later it was taken forward at an apartment in Delhi. It is also said that the chat record of businessman Sameer Mahendru revealed that he had used the name of 'Samee' for chatting in which he referred to Vijay Nair as 'V' and 'Madam' for Kavitha.
It is also reportedly said that the accused in the case had meetings at Taj Man Singh Hotel in Delhi. The ED is said to have further alleged that money ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 20 crore was transferred through a hawala dealer in Bengali market.
In yet another turn in the case, Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai on Friday moved an application before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court seeking to retract his statements given to the Central agency in the excise policy case.
The court on Tuesday sent Pillai to the ED custody till March 13 after the agency arrested him on Monday post questioning him for hours in the case. The court on Friday issued notice to the ED over Pillai's plea.
The ED has alleged that Pillai was involved in forming a cartel (now called South Group) of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers which controlled more than 30 per cent of the liquor business in the national capital.
The ED named the said cartel, South Group, which includes BRS leader K Kavitha, Sarath Reddy, promoter of Aurobindo Pharma, YSRCP MP from Ongole Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta and others.
The South Group was represented by Arun Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli and Butchi Babu, the agency claimed. Pillai is a partner in Indo Spirits with a 32.5 per cent stake and he represented K Kavitha's interests, said the ED.