While the Enforcement Directorate probing the sensational Delhi liquor policy scam has tightened the noose around Aam Admi Party leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, the other key players in the scam, particularly those from the South Group, are coming out scot free, as some of them turned approvers.
On Tuesday, the Delhi high court granted four-week bail to Magunta Raghava alias Raghu, one of the main accused in the Delhi liquor scam on health grounds.
Raghava happens to be the son of YSR Congress party MP from Ongole Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy.
Interestingly, the ED, which had earlier strongly opposed the bail petition of Raghava, did not oppose the bail to him this time.
The Delhi high court asked Raghava to cooperate with the ED authorities by appearing before them whenever he was required to come for questioning.
He was asked not to leave Chennai during the bail period and asked him to be available to the ED for questioning either in Chennai or Delhi.
The bail was granted to Raghava, nearly 50 days after the Delhi court letting off P Sarath Chandra Reddy, director of Aurobindo Group and relative of YSRCP general secretary V Vijay Sai Reddy, after he turned an approver in the case.
Earlier in April, another accused in the case Gorantla Buchi Babu, former chartered accountant of Bharat Rashtra Samithi legislator and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha, also turned an approver and got the bail.
On February 10, the ED authorities arrested Magunta Raghava in connection with the money laundering investigation in the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case.
The ED also named Kavitha’s name in the remand report of Raghava, who is a key player among the South Group, along with Arun Pillai, Abhishek Boinpally and G Buchi Babu.
Raghava is the owner of liquor manufacturing units in the name of Enrica Enterprises Pvt Ltd located in Chennai. He controlled two retail zones in the name of Magunta Agro Farms Pvt Ltd directly in contravention of the Excise Policy 2021-22.
The ED alleged that Raghava, through his proxy, Prem Rahul Manduri, also held a 32.5 per cent stake in Indo Spirits, which held L1 wholesale licence and alleged that Raghava had paid Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders.
