The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party MP from Ongole Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case, officials said Saturday.
Raghav Magunta was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday evening, they said.
He is expected to be produced before a local court, where the federal probe agency will seek his custody.
This is the ninth arrest in this case by the ED, and the third this week.
It arrested Gautam Malhotra, son of former SAD MLA from Punjab Deep Malhotra, and Rajesh Joshi, the director of an advertising company called Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd, earlier in the week.
The agency had alleged that a cartel called 'South Group' of liquor retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers was created as part of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, and the father and son duo were part of it
It had searched premises linked to the Member of Parliament last year.
ED arrested advertising professional Rajesh Joshi
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested advertising professional Rajesh Joshi in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, officials said Thursday
Rajesh Joshi, the director of Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd, was placed under arrest under the sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and his links with regard to alleged diversion of 'kickbacks' for the Goa assembly polls of last year are under the scanner of the agency, they said.
The ED has alleged in a charge sheet submitted to the court that a part of the alleged Rs 100 crore "kickbacks" generated in the scrapped Delhi excise policy were "used" in the 2022 Goa assembly election campaign of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
It alleged that out of the "bribe" amount of of Rs 100 crore made by an entity called as the 'South Group' of liquor businessmen and politicians, Rs 30 crore "was handled by" an another accused Dinesh Arora "in connivance" with other accused Abhishek Boinpally, Joshi and a person identified by his first name, Sudhir.
Chariot Productions, the ED said, was an entity "engaged by the AAP for related advertising and other works for their Goa election campaign for 2022 assembly elections."
"On following the money trail of part of this amount it has been found that Vijay Nair (AAP communication in-charge arrested in the case earlier) has engaged in making cash payments for campaign related work through Chariot Productions as well as through individuals."
"So far, the money trail for cash transactions of Rs 70 lakh payment has been made, which is contiguous with the time of acquisition of these funds as found in the investigation," the ED claimed in its second charge sheet filed in the case before a local court in Delhi last month
CBI arrested KCR's daughter's ex-auditor
The CBI has arrested a Hyderabad-based chartered accountant (CA), understood to be the auditor of BRS MLC K Kavitha, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, officials said on Wednesday
The Central Bureau of Investigation had called the CA, Butchibabu Gorantla, to Delhi for questioning in connection with the excise policy case. He was arrested on Tuesday evening as he was non-cooperative and his responses were found to be evasive, they said.
The CBI has alleged that Gorantla's role in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 caused "wrongful gain" to Hyderabad-based wholesale and retail licensees and their beneficial owners.
The ED, till now, has filed two charge sheets or prosecution complaints in this case and has arrested a total of eight people, including Joshi.
The ED's money laundering stems from the CBI FIR.
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and other excise officials of the government were named as accused in the CBI and the ED complaints.
(With PTI Inputs)
