Delhi excise scam: In the latest development to the Delhi excise policy scam, Hyderabad-based businessman and accused in the case Arun Ramchandra Pillai alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) "forged his statements and forced him to sign them."
Pillai, arrested in the money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, moved to a city court in New Delhi wherein he recorded his statements. Following this, Special Judge MK Nagpal issued a notice to the ED and asked the agency to submit its reply by Monday (March 13).
The statements, allegedly recorded before the agency, were requested to be retracted by Pillai's attorney in the application that was brought before the court on Friday. The defendant asserted that ED coerced him into signing two documents, one of which was dated in November 2022, and used them as his assertions.
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ED claims Pillai is close aide of BRS MLC K Kavitha
The ED had claimed that he is a close aide of BRS MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K Kavitha and an alleged frontman of the liquor cartel - "South Group" - that paid kickbacks amounting to about Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to gain a larger share of the market in the national capital under the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2020-21.
It should be noted here that Pillai was arrested by the ED on March 6 and produced before the court the next day. The court then sent him to ED custody which ends on March 13. Meanwhile, the ED also questioned BRS MLC Kavitha on the matter.
Delhi excise policy was scrapped in 2022
The excise policy was scrapped in August last year and the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) subsequently asked the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities and corruption involving government authorities, bureaucrats and liquor traders, among others.
(With inputs from PTI)
