New Delhi: Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, submitted an application to Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court today, seeking to retract his statements given to the central agency in the Delhi excise policy case.
This came a day before Kavitha Kalvakuntla, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter, was scheduled to depose before the ED officials regarding the same case.
The ED has accused Pillai of being involved in a firm called South Group, which allegedly controlled a significant portion of the liquor business in Delhi. The ED further claimed that the 'South Group' gave kickbacks of crores to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, allegedly used in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections, to gain control over the liquor business in Delhi.
The South Group was reportedly controlled by Kavitha, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Aurobindo Pharma's P Sarat Chandra Reddy, among others.
In December 2022, Kavitha was questioned by the CBI regarding the case, but she is not yet an accused, and it is unclear if any financial links have been established. Pillai was arrested by the ED on Monday and was sent to ED custody until March 13th.
The ED has alleged that Pillai represented Kavitha's interest in Indo Spirits, where he had a 32.5% stake. He invested Rs 3.40 crore in Indo Spirits and was acting as a 'benami.' In exchange for kickbacks given by the South Group to Vijay Nair and AAP, Indo Spirits was made the wholesaler of Pernod Ricard, as per the ED's allegations.
On March 11th, the court issued notice to the ED regarding Pillai's plea to retract his statement. Pillai is the 11th arrest made in the case by the ED. The agency had apprehended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia the previous day, and he sought bail in the same case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
With IANS input