Aurobindo Pharma Director Sarath P Reddy has turned approver after a Rouse Avenue court on Thursday accepted Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea to pardon him in the Delhi excise case. ED argued that the Hyderabad-based businessman will voluntarily offer full disclosure of irregularities committed in framing and executing of the liquor policy allegedly tinkered to favour a few entities and politicians.

Rouse Avenue Court’s Special Judge MK Nagpal allowed Reddy to turn approver in the case, which the agency believed would help them in getting into the bottom of the scam. Reddy was allegedly key to “South Group” that had paid ₹100 crore to AAP, which was used to fund its Goa elections.

Like the other accused including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, he was also accused of destroying digital evidence, such as those available on mobile phones, to scuttle the probe against him, the ED had earlier alleged.

Reddy was by default controlling five retail zones through his group company Trident Chemphar Pvt Ltd and proxies, violating the norms that discouraged cartelisation. He was earlier- granted regular bail by the Delhi High Court on medical grounds.

The ED is probing money laundering aspect of the liquor scam, which the CBI was first to unravel by registering an FIR. The CBI, however, chose Delhi-based businessman Dinesh Arora for approver in its case which was granted by Special Judge MK Nagpal last November. Arora, an associate of Sisodia, who is behind the bars, allegedly managed the money collected from the excise scam.

Both the agencies have filed chargesheet in the case.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW