NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has informed a special court that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha allegedly “threatened” Aurobindo Pharma promoter Sharath Chandra Reddy to pay Rs 25 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for five retail zones under Delhi’s excise policy.
According to the CBI, Kavitha warned Reddy that failure to pay the amount to AAP could harm his business in Telangana and Delhi.
Reddy, previously accused in a money-laundering case related to a liquor scam in Delhi, turned approver in the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. The CBI, yet to file charges against Reddy, sought Kavitha’s custodial interrogation, saying that she influenced Reddy’s entry into the Delhi liquor business with promises of government contacts and support under the now-scrapped excise policy.
“Kavitha further told Sharath Chandra Reddy that the payments of upfront money of Rs 25 crore for wholesale business and Rs 5 crore for each retail zone were to be made to the Aam Aadmi Party for getting liquor business and the same was to be paid to her associates, Arun R Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, who would in turn coordinate with Vijay Nair, who was a representative of (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal,” the CBI told the court on Friday.
Kavitha allegedly directed Reddy to pay Rs 25 crore to AAP for liquor business through her associates, including Arun R Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, who would coordinate with Vijay Nair, a representative of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Kavitha has been remanded in CBI custody till April 15. The agency revealed that in 2021, Pillai, Boinpally, and Gorantla influenced Delhi’s excise policy at Hotel Oberoi with Nair’s involvement.
CBI alleged that Aurobindo Reality and Infrastructure Private Limited paid Rs 80 lakh to Kavitha’s NGO, Telangana Jagruthi, under CSR following her assurance.
“The investigation has further revealed that in June-July 2021, K Kavitha had compelled Sharath Chandra Reddy to enter into a sale agreement with her for an agricultural land situated at Mahboob Nagar, Telangana, although he was not keen to purchase the said agricultural land and also not aware of the value of the said land,” it has said.
Citing Reddy’s statement and its investigation so far, CBI told the court that, Kavitha “insisted” that Reddy pay Rs 14 crore against the land and “forced” him to enter into the sale agreement through Mahira Ventures Private Limited, one of the Aurobindo Group companies, in July 2021.
CBI also alleged that in November and December of 2021, Kavitha asked Reddy to pay Rs 25 crore (Rs 5 crore per zone for the five retail zones allotted to him).
As per the agency, Kavitha claimed that she paid Rs 100 crore upfront to AAP for favourable policy provisions.
“However, when Sarath Chandra Reddy showed his reluctance to pay the demanded money, K Kavitha threatened Sarath Chandra Reddy to harm his business in Telangana and Delhi under the excise policy,” CBI alleged, citing Reddy’s statement.
AAP on March 24 alleged Reddy’s company of contributing Rs 59.5 crore to BJP via electoral bonds. “The companies owned by Sarath Reddy bought electoral bonds and donated money to the BJP. Now, this money trail has been exposed in front of the country. Reddy purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 4.5 crore while the excise policy was being formulated and after his arrest, he purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 55 crore and the money went to the BJP. So the money trail that has been sought for the past two years is here,” Delhi minister Atishi had alleged.
According to the CBI, Kavitha warned Reddy that failure to pay the amount to AAP could harm his business in Telangana and Delhi.
Reddy, previously accused in a money-laundering case related to a liquor scam in Delhi, turned approver in the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. The CBI, yet to file charges against Reddy, sought Kavitha’s custodial interrogation, saying that she influenced Reddy’s entry into the Delhi liquor business with promises of government contacts and support under the now-scrapped excise policy.
“Kavitha further told Sharath Chandra Reddy that the payments of upfront money of Rs 25 crore for wholesale business and Rs 5 crore for each retail zone were to be made to the Aam Aadmi Party for getting liquor business and the same was to be paid to her associates, Arun R Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, who would in turn coordinate with Vijay Nair, who was a representative of (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal,” the CBI told the court on Friday.
Kavitha allegedly directed Reddy to pay Rs 25 crore to AAP for liquor business through her associates, including Arun R Pillai and Abhishek Boinpally, who would coordinate with Vijay Nair, a representative of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Kavitha has been remanded in CBI custody till April 15. The agency revealed that in 2021, Pillai, Boinpally, and Gorantla influenced Delhi’s excise policy at Hotel Oberoi with Nair’s involvement.
CBI alleged that Aurobindo Reality and Infrastructure Private Limited paid Rs 80 lakh to Kavitha’s NGO, Telangana Jagruthi, under CSR following her assurance.
“The investigation has further revealed that in June-July 2021, K Kavitha had compelled Sharath Chandra Reddy to enter into a sale agreement with her for an agricultural land situated at Mahboob Nagar, Telangana, although he was not keen to purchase the said agricultural land and also not aware of the value of the said land,” it has said.
Citing Reddy’s statement and its investigation so far, CBI told the court that, Kavitha “insisted” that Reddy pay Rs 14 crore against the land and “forced” him to enter into the sale agreement through Mahira Ventures Private Limited, one of the Aurobindo Group companies, in July 2021.
CBI also alleged that in November and December of 2021, Kavitha asked Reddy to pay Rs 25 crore (Rs 5 crore per zone for the five retail zones allotted to him).
As per the agency, Kavitha claimed that she paid Rs 100 crore upfront to AAP for favourable policy provisions.
“However, when Sarath Chandra Reddy showed his reluctance to pay the demanded money, K Kavitha threatened Sarath Chandra Reddy to harm his business in Telangana and Delhi under the excise policy,” CBI alleged, citing Reddy’s statement.
AAP on March 24 alleged Reddy’s company of contributing Rs 59.5 crore to BJP via electoral bonds. “The companies owned by Sarath Reddy bought electoral bonds and donated money to the BJP. Now, this money trail has been exposed in front of the country. Reddy purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 4.5 crore while the excise policy was being formulated and after his arrest, he purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 55 crore and the money went to the BJP. So the money trail that has been sought for the past two years is here,” Delhi minister Atishi had alleged.
