Delhi liquorgate: Abhishek maintains silence during CBI grilling

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, who appeared before CBI officials for questioning in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case for the third day in a row on Wednesday, reportedly remained silent when asked about ‘hawala' transactions.

Abhishek Boinpally's three-day police custody ended on Wednesday, and the CBI's main focus of questioning was on 'hawala' transactions and political leaders' involvement in the case. When the investigation agency asked about money transfer to Abhishek's account from one of the accused, Sameer Mahendru, managing director of Indospirit, the Hyderabad-based businessman allegedly replied that it was purely business-related transactions with no connection to the Delhi liquor case, sources said.

"Abhishek Boinapally was part of several meetings held in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad with the accused and other liquor traders in connection with the formulation of liquor policy and to derive benefits of the provisions of the excise policy,” CBI officials stated in the remand report.

Further, agency officials stated that Abhishek was a part of a conspiracy in which he transferred money through hawala channels to co-accused Vijay Nair, a former AAP leader and businessman, via co-accused Dinesh Arora prior to the Delhi excise policy's implementation from November 2021 to July 2022.

The money transferred by the co-accused Sameer Mahendru of Indospirit has also finally landed in the account of Abhishek Boinapally. "When the agency found the role of Abhishek Boinapally, the agency served notices asking to appear before the agency for questioning. The accused appeared before the CBI on October 7, 8 and 9. He was interrogated in connection with the allegations and confronted with the available evidence. However, Abhishek sought time to rethink and recollect the facts for replying to the questions," the CBI officials said.

The CBI officials who registered cases under sections 120B, 466 A of the IPC, and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against 14 people, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, have so far arrested two people in connection with the case: Vijay Nair from Mumbai and Abishek Boinapally from Hyderabad.