New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday questioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav Kumar in connection with the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
“Vijay Nair told Sameer Mahendru that 2021-22 excise policy was the brain child of Arvind Kejriwal. Mahendru wanted to verify this fact. And to verify the credibility, clout and influence of Nair, Mahendru wanted to meet Kejriwal. Kejriwal’s PA fixed meetings between Mahendru and Kejriwal twice at the instance of Nair. But Mahendru couldn’t somehow meet Kejriwal, so Nair made Mahendru speak to Kejriwal on FaceTime (a calling app),” the ED alleged in its charge-sheet.
Sameer Mahandru is a Delhi-based liquor businessman who’s the Managing Director of the wine company Inospirit Group. Both Nair and Mahendru have been arrested in connection with the case.
A source said that it was Bibhav Kumar’s cellphone which was used by Mahendru to make the call to Kejriwal.
IANS repeatedly asked Bibhav Kumar about the ED questioning after the latter came out of the agency office, but he didn’t give any reply.
The ED had on February 11 arrested YSR Congress MP Magunta Srinivas Reddy’s son Raghav Magunta in the matter.
Before Magunta, the ED had arrested Punjab-based businessman Gautam Malhotra and Rajesh Joshi, an aide of AAP’s social media in-charge Vijay Nair.
On February 20, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sent him a notice to appear before the probe agency on February 26 in connection with the excise policy case.
–IANS
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