HYDERABAD: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, who are probing the Delhi liquor scam, have found that many mobile phones were changed by suspects as to destroy evidence.
"All 34 important persons involved/suspected to be involved in the excise scam have changed a total 140 phones (valued around Rs 1.20 crore) with an intention to destroy digital evidence during the relevant period. These include all main accused, liquor barons, senior government officials, the excise minister of Delhi and several others. The timing of the change of phones indicates that these phones were changed just after the scam surfaced," the ED alleged.
The excise policy was leaked to certain liquor manufacturers much before it was released on July 5, 2021, the ED claimed.
The ED alleged that that Hyderabad-based businessman Sharath Chandra Reddy was one of the kingpins and a major beneficiary in the scam.
In the remand report, the agency mentioned that Sharath Chandra Reddy was effectively controlling five retail zones through his group company Trident Chemphar Pvt Ltd and proxy entities — Organomixx Ecosystems and Sri Avantika Contractors — in violation of the Excise policy which barred any person from controlling more than two retail zones.
"His employees disclosed that he was handling all operation-related matters of the companies. Penaka was a key partner in the biggest cartel (named ‘South Group’ by Dinesh Arora, another accused, in his statement) of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Partners in the cartel like Sameer Mahandru own liquor manufacturing units along with Pernod Ricard (PRI), which is one of the biggest manufacturers in the country," the ED alleged.
Sharath Chandra Reddy along with others had financial interests in this entity through proxies. It has also been revealed that he was was investing in lndoSpirits of Mahendru.
"This is in clear contravention of the objectives of the Delhi Excise Policy, 2021-22. Reddy had direct control of five retail zones and along with other members of the cartel also collectively controlled four zones. This cartel effectively controlled about 30 per cent of the Delhi liquor market through a series of illegal activities like kickbacks, using benami and proxy entities and conspiring with stakeholders in the liquor industry," the investigation agency said.
Sharath Reddy and others led a cartel that gave kickbacks of `100 crore through Vijay Nair and through the web of multiple retail zones while lndoSpirits, as the wholesaler, was recovering payments made in advance, the ED alleged.
