Anurag Kumar
The name of Aam Aami Party Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha has been included in the Enforcement Directorate’s supplementary chargesheet in the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy scheme money laundering case. Chadha is not listed as a suspect in the case. In response to media reports, Chadha clarified in a statement that he has not been named as a suspect in the case.
“…at Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s residence, there was a meeting of Raghav Chadha, ACS Finance of Punjab Govt, Excise Commissioner, Varun Roojam, FCT, and officers from Punjab Excise, where Vijay Nair was also present,” ANI reported, citing a statement.
This is the only mention of him in the indictment, which the court received on Monday.
“News articles/reporting stating that I have been named as an accused in a complaint filed by the enforcement directorate are factually incorrect and appear to be part of a malevolent propaganda campaign designed to damage my reputation and credibility.
“I am neither an accused nor a suspect in any of the complaints lodged by the enforcement division. There are no allegations against me in the aforementioned complaints. It appears that my name is mentioned in the complaint as a participant in some meeting, although the basis for making such an allegation is unclear. I vehemently and categorically deny committing any alleged offense in relation to the aforementioned meeting or otherwise. Chadha said in his statement, “I request that the media and publication houses refrain from inaccurate reporting and clarify this matter, lest I be compelled to take legal action.”
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Monday, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi accepted two criminal complaints lodged by the ED in the money laundering case.
The complaints against Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Rajesh Joshi, Amandeep Dhal, Gautam Malhotra, Raghav Magunta, and affiliated entities were filed by the prosecution.
The special judge MK Nagpal accepted the chargesheets (Prosecution Complaints) and ordered all naming defendants to appear on May 10, 2023.
The court informed the ED that the investigation into the accused’s role in ECIR and the roles of other individuals on numerous allegations is ongoing.
ED was represented by attorneys Zohaib Hossain and Naveen Kumar Matta. The ED stated that there was sufficient evidence in the case file to establish the money laundering allegation against these defendants.
Previously, the initial supplementary chargesheet included the names of twelve defendants, including Vijay Nair, Sharath Reddy, Binoy Babu, Abhishek Boinpally, Amit Arora, and seven corporations. The ED lodged the initial chargesheet in the case against Sameer Mahendru and his affiliated companies.
Manish Sisodia, who was detained on March 9, 2023, has not yet been charged by the ED.
The Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, that undue favors were extended to license holders, that the license fee was waived or reduced, and that the L-1 license was extended without the sanction of the competent authority. The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” profits to the accused officials and falsified their accounting records to avoid detection.
On the basis of a referral from the Union home ministry and a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, a FIR was filed in this matter.
