The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its supplementary prosecution complaint refers to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on multiple occasions to link him up with accused Vijay Nair, a AAP media in-charge, and alleges that a part of the ₹100 crore bribe paid was used to fund Goa assembly elections.

Tagging a part of the statement of former secretary of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, an accused in the Delhi Excise Case, the ED stated that Sameer Mahandru, owner of Indo Spirits, the distributor of beverages in the capital city, spoke to Kejriwal on the phone through Vijay Nair.

“Arvind said to Sameer that Vijay is his boy and that Sameer should trust him and carry on with him. These facts are relevant to mention so as to establish the abettment of his actions in relation to the excise policy scam,” the ED alleged in the prosecution complaint.

₹100-crore kickbacks

Nair is alleged to be one of the key players in the scam, as the ED alleges that he, on behalf of AAP leaders, has received kickbacks to the tune of ₹100 crore from a South Group whose prominent persons are YSR Congress MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, Sarath Reddy, and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha, who is an MLC.

“Investigation of the trail of this kickback so far has revealed that part of these funds were used in the election campaign of the AAP for Goa assembly elections in 2022. Cash payments to the tune of ₹70 lakh were made to the volunteers who were part of the survey teams,” the agency alleges. Vijay Nair.

As per the ED, Vijay Nair himself has told certain persons involved in the campaign-related work to receive payments in cash.

“Advertisement/hoarding-related work was directed to raise only part of the claims in the bill and receive the remainder in cash. These part-cash payments were managed through hawala channels. Nair also directed certain firms to issue bogus invoices. The kickbacks were paid in advance to AAP leaders through Nair by the South Group as part of an agreement between the two,” the agency charged in the prosecution complaint says.

After going through the supplementary complaint, Rouse Avenue Special Judge MK Nagpal said on Thursday, “This court is of the considered opinion that there are also sufficient grounds and material to proceed further in the matter against all the twelve accused persons being prosecuted through this supplementary complaint as they all, either directly or indirectly, are found to have attempted to or indulged in or knowingly assisted or have been a party to or actually involved in the process or activities connected with proceeds of crime generated through the above scheduled offenses case, including their concealment, possession, acquisition, use, projection, or claiming it to be untainted properties”.

Kavitha got stakes in Indo Spirits, alleges the agency, in return for the bribe paid to AAP leaders in the excise scam. Arun Pillai was representing Kavitha’s interest in Indo Spirits and became a stakeholder in the company.

Sameer Mahandru spoke to Kavitha through Arun Pillai, and she has been quoted as saying that she is happy that they have partnered for Delhi business. Sameer had met with Kavitha in early 2022 in Hyderabad at her house. In this meeting, Sameer, Sarath AP, AB, Kavitha, and her husband, Anil, were present. Kavitha assured Sameer that Arun was like family and enquired about issues Indo Spirits was confronting.

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