Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at multiple places in Telangana including an unidentified media outlet in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Sources said that five teams of the ED started the searches at 6 am which continued till late at night. Among the places searched is an English media company near the Jubilee Hills check post.
Sources said that a preliminary probe revealed that money was transferred from the bank account of Boinapally Abhishek, who is accused of the liquor scam, to the account of the media company. They said that the company used the money in the name of 'management'. The ED team also searched the house of the manager of the organization in Gachibowli.
Also read: Delhi Excise Policy scam: ED seizes Rs 1 cr from bizman's house
Incriminating documents and digital evidence have been seized at both places, sources said. Pertinently, in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 1 crore from the house of a businessman in the national capital, sources said on Saturday. Following the seizure of the cash, the ED will now call him to join the investigation, the sources said without providing any further details.
The businessman's house was searched as the probe agency on Friday conducted day-long raids at more than 35 locations across Punjab, Delhi, and Andhra Pradesh. The ED has also searched the Hyderabad Gorantla Associates office and its manager Buchibabu's house in the case. The CBI has already arrested Aam Aadmi Party communication in-charge, Vijay Nayar, along with Delhi-based liquor merchant Sameer Mahendru in this case.
After CBI custody, Vijay Nayar was sent back to judicial remand on Thursday. The fresh raids were conducted after the interrogation of Sameer Mahendru, an accused in the central agency's custody, during which the ED found out that Punjab and Andhra Pradesh had connections in the case. Mahendru was earlier placed under arrest by the ED.
It was the second arrest in the Excise Policy scam and the first arrest by the ED. There are allegations that Arun Ramchandra Pillai, a resident of Kokapet in Hyderabad, used to collect undue pecuniary advantage from Mahendru for onward transmission to accused public servant Vijay Nair. Now, the probe agency is collecting the documentary and digital evidence to nail the money trail in money laundering.
The ED is trying to make a water-tight case by trying to unearth the layering of laundered money.
