New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate’s recent actions have sent shockwaves through Delhi’s political landscape as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal finds himself in the center of a new excise policy scandal, commonly referred to as the Delhi Liquor Policy Case. Adding to the intrigue, P Sarath Chandra Reddy, a director of Aurobindo Pharma, emerges as a significant figure in the same case.
The Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the matter led to the arrest of P Sarath Chandra Reddy on November 10, 2022, in connection with a money laundering case stemming from the alleged liquor policy irregularities. Further investigations revealed a startling revelation: just five days later, on November 15, 2022, Aurobindo Pharma made a substantial purchase of electoral bonds amounting to Rs 5 crore, which were subsequently donated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to detailed findings reported by Scroll.in, Aurobindo Pharma’s involvement in the electoral bond saga deepened as it came to light that after Reddy became a government witness in the excise policy case in June 2023, the company made an additional donation of Rs 25 crore to the BJP. Notably, P Sarath Chandra Reddy serves as one of the directors of Aurobindo Pharma Limited, holding the position of executive director within the company. Aurobindo Pharma, founded by PV Rama Prasad Reddy, Reddy’s father, has now become entangled in a web of allegations surrounding the excise policy scandal.
The sequence of events unfolds with chilling precision: Reddy’s arrest coincides with his company’s significant purchase of electoral bonds, followed by an additional donation to the BJP after he cooperates with the authorities. The transactional intricacies reveal a broader scheme as Aurobindo Pharma’s electoral bond purchases total a staggering Rs 52 crore. Out of this sum, Rs 34.5 crore flowed into the coffers of the BJP, while smaller portions were directed towards the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
The investigation takes a more ominous turn as the Enforcement Directorate alleges Reddy’s involvement in the ‘South Group’ implicated in the Delhi liquor scam. This group, which also includes BRS leader K Kavita, has come under intense scrutiny, with recent arrests further complicating the case. Vijay Nair, identified as the second accused in this intricate web of corruption, disclosed during interrogation that transactions worth a staggering Rs 100 crores had transpired involving AAP leaders, casting a broader shadow over Delhi’s political landscape.
