ED arrests businessmen Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally in the Delhi liquor policy case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two businessmen – Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally — under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an investigation into the Delhi Excise Policy case.
Earlier, the two were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and remanded into judicial custody after questioning. The court was all set to hear arguments on their bail application later in the day.
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Lobbying charge on Boinpally
The ED will seek the custody of the two from a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, they said.
The Hyderabad-based Boinpally was allegedly lobbying for certain liquor businessmen based in southern India, according to the CBI. Boinpally’s name had cropped up during the course of investigation. He was called to join the probe but did not cooperate with the probe agency and allegedly tried to mislead it. He was not named in the FIR.
Charges against Nair
Nair, a former CEO of an event management company, has been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), according to the CBI, and had entered into a criminal conspiracy with others and in furtherance of the conspiracy related to the excise policy of the government of the national capital territory of Delhi (GNCTD) of 2021-2022.
Nair, Delhi’s Jor Bagh-based businessman, was the first one to be arrested by the CBI.
Arrests so far
The ED had earlier arrested Sameer Mahandru, promoter of liquor company Indospirit, general manager of liquor company Pernod Ricard, Benoy Babu, and P Sarath Chandra Reddy, whole-time director and promoter of Aurobindo Pharma.
The agency has undertaken as many as 169 search operations in this case so far.
Also read: Delhi liquor policy case: ED arrests top executives of two pharma companies
The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as an accused among others.
The CBI had raided the premises of Sisodia and some Delhi government bureaucrats after filing the case.
(With Agency inputs)
