Delhi liquor policy scam: Day after CBI nabs Delhi businessman, ED arrests liquor trader

Image Source : FILE One person was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday.

Delhi Liquor scam case: The Enforcement Directorate made an arrest in connection to the Delhi excise case. The accused, Sameer Mahendru, is the owner of Indo Spirits. A few days back the central agency had raided Mahendru's Jor Bagh residence and office.

Mahendru has been accused of transferring Rs 1 crore to an account of UCO Bank at Rajendra Place. The ED action comes a day after another accused, Vijay Nair, was arrested in the liquor policy case.

Vijay Nair was the former CEO of an event management company 'Only Much Louder', an accused in the Delhi Excise Policy case, sources said. According to reports, the accused has been arrested for allegedly bribing a government official. Vijay Nair has been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since 2014 and used to do fund-raising work for the party.

Nair was responsible for the media and communication strategy of the AAP. Sources say Nair is a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Nair pressurised to take Sisodia's name, alleges AAP

Vijay Nair is the communication in-charge of AAP. He was responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies in Punjab earlier and Gujarat now. He has nothing to do with excise policy. Strangely, he has been arrested by CBI just now in the excise case, AAP said.

Vijay Nair was called for questioning in the last few days and was pressurised to take the name of Manish Sisodia. When he refused to do that, he was threatened that he would be arrested, the party said in a statement.

Nair's house was raided twice in the last one month but nothing was found, it said.

"This is a part of on-going BJP’s attempt to crush AAP and obstruct AAP’s Gujarat campaign. The whole country is watching how BJP is completely rattled by AAP’s growing popularity across India. BJP is unable to digest rapidly growing vote share of AAP in Gujarat. We strongly condemn these unconstitutional and illegal methods being adopted by BJP. All allegations against Vijay Nair and AAP leaders are false and completely baseless," the party added.