Delhi excise policy case: Court takes cognizance of ED's supplementary chargesheet, says sufficient grounds to proceed

New Delhi [India], February 2 (ANI): A Rouse Avenue Court here on Thursday took cognizance of the chargesheet recently filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi's Excise police case naming several businessmen including Aam Aadmi Party's former communication head Vijay Nair.

Special Judge MK Nagpal on Thursday said this supplementary complaint has also been carefully gone through by the court.

"This court is of the considered opinion that there are also sufficient grounds and material to proceed further in the matter against all the twelve accused persons being prosecuted through this supplementary complaint as they all, either directly or indirectly, are found to have attempted to or indulged in or knowingly assisted or have been a party to or actually involved in the process or activities connected with proceeds of crime generated through the above scheduled offences case, including its concealment, possession, acquisition, use and projection or claiming it to be untainted properties," he said.

The court also said that Trident Chemphar Ltd, Sri Avantika Contractors (I) Pvt. Ltd., and Organomix Ecosystems Pvt. Ltd., companies are alleged to be owned/beneficially owned or controlled by P. Sarath Chandra Reddy and these three companies are alleged to have been granted five retail zone licenses.

Pernod Ricard India Pvt. Ltd company is the liquor manufacturer which granted wholesale (L-1) license to Indo Spirits firm/entity related to or owned by Sameer Mahandru and KSJM Spirits LLP, Buddy Retail (TI) Pvt. Ltd. and Popular Spirits Pvt. Ltd. companies have been alleged to be owned, beneficially or otherwise, or controlled by Amit Arora.

The court further added that all the twelve accused persons/entities of the supplementary complaint are also directed to be summoned for the said date given in the main prosecution complaint - February 23 at 10.30 am - to appear and face trial before this court for the offence of money laundering.

Since Vijay Nair, P. Sarath Chandra Reddy, Benoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally and Amit Arora are already running in judicial custody in this matter, their production warrants, instead of summons, are to be issued for the above said date, said the courtThe court noted that the CBI case pertaining to the commission of scheduled offences of this case is also pending before the court and a chargesheet against some of the accused persons in the said case also stands filed now. Cognizance of the offences alleged therein has been taken by the court and the concerned accused persons have even put in their appearances to face trial for the alleged offences, though in that case too some further investigation is going on.

ED in its chargesheet stated that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) investigation done so far has revealed that, the Delhi Excise Policy, 2021-22 was created by the top leaders of the AAP to continuously generate and channel illegal funds for themselves.

ED further stated that the extent of involvement and abatement of the criminal activities by the leaders of the AAP covered in the subject, prosecution complaint further substantiates their design and scheme of the scam.

Reacting on the issue, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that it's a fake case.

"ED must have filed 5000 chargesheets in this Government's tenure. How many of them were punished? ED's cases are fake. They don't file cases to end corruption. ED is used to poach MLAs, make and break govt. So, the ED chargesheet is pure fiction," he said at a press conference. (ANI)