Delhi Excise Policy Case: Court Pardons Accused Sarath Chandra Reddy As He Turns Approver

Sarath Chandra Reddy of Aurbindo Group is the second person to become an approver. He through his counsel had moved a plea before the Rouse Avenue Court requesting the court to let him be an approver.

Representational Image | Liquor businessman Dinesh Arora had turned approver in the matter before Reddy who was arrested by the ED in November last year.

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A Delhi court on Thursday allowed Sarath Chandra Reddy of Aurbindo Group, an accused in the Delhi excise policy scam case, to turn an approver in the case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He is the second person to become an approver. Last November, liquor businessman and accused in the case, Dinesh Arora turned approver in the case wherein Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is facing money laundering charges by the ED. Reddy was recently charge-sheeted by the probe agency in the case. 

According to news agency IANS, entrepreneur Sarath Chandra Reddy through his counsel had moved a plea before the Rouse Avenue Court requesting the court to let him be an approver. The court allowed his move while also pardoning him in the matter. 

The ED had claimed in the supplementary charge sheet that Vijay Nair, businessman and AAP's communications in-charge, on behalf of leaders of AAP received kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore from South Group, whose prominent persons are Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Raghav Magunta, Sarath Reddy and K. Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Liquor businessman Dinesh Arora had turned approver in the matter before Reddy who was arrested by the ED in November last year.

The ED has mentioned that Dinesh Arora gave Rs 82 lakh to Sisodia as the collection for party funds for the Assembly elections.

ED Chargesheet In Delhi Excise Policy Case

Earlier this week, Delhi court on Tuesday took cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the ED in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.

Special Judge M K Nagpal said there was enough prima facie evidence to take cognisance of the charge sheet and issued a production warrant against Sisodia for June 1, news agency PTI reported.

Sisodia was arrested by the ED in this case on March 9 from Tihar Jail where he is currently lodged in judicial custody after he was first arrested by the CBI, which is also probing this case.

The Delhi High Court Tuesday denied him bail in the case being probed by the CBI, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a high-profile person who has the potential to influence the witnesses.

The about 270-page ED charge sheet had annexures running into 2,000 pages, PTI reported. The central agency had called Sisodia a key conspirator in this case. It had alleged in the previous charge sheets that the liquor policy 'scam' was a conspiracy hatched by some of the big political leaders of the AAP and the so-called 'South Group' comprising BRS leader K Kavitha, YSR Congress MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and others who used proxies and dummies to conceal their involvement.

The ED's case is based on the FIR registered by the CBI. The ED has filed a main charge sheet and four supplementary charge sheets in the matter.

More On It: Manish Sisodia Introduced Liquor Policy 'To Generate, Channel Illegal Funds': ED In Chargesheet