New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) A Delhi court on Wednesday sent businessman Gautam Malhotra, the son of former SAD MLA and liquor baron Deep Malhotra, to judicial custody in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Special Judge M K Nagpal sent Malhotra to jail after he was produced before the court on expiry of his seven-day custodial interrogation.
The court passed the order on an application moved by the Enforcement Directorate which said his further custody was not required.
The ED had earlier told the court that the accused was part of a cartel formed between liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in violation of the excise policy as he, being a manufacturer owning or having different units, was also able to get a wholesale licence and two retail zone licences in the names of some other entities belonging to or being controlled by him.
The judge had noted that there were specific allegations which surfaced during the course of investigation that the accused had generated proceeds of crime (POC) to the extent of Rs 2.5 crore and handed it over to co-accused Amit Arora.
Arora further handed over the POC to another accused Dinesh Arora, who has now turned approver, for its onward transmission to AAP leaders through co-accused Vijay Nair and it was done in pursuance of the said conspiracy and out of 12 per cent profit margin fixed for the wholesalers.
The ED was represented by Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta and advocate Mohd Faizan Khan.
Malhotra, promoter of the Oasis group of Punjab, was taken into custody under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Malhotra’s liquor manufacturing and distribution business is spread across Punjab and some other regions like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the ED said.
The excise policy 2021-22 was scrapped in August last year and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor later asked the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities.
The ED’s money laundering probe stems from the CBI FIR. The ED alleged in its charge sheet that a part of the alleged Rs 100 crore ‘kickbacks’ was used in the 2022 Goa assembly election campaign of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
“Investigation by ED found that acts of corruption and conspiracy in the formulation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 led to the loss of at least Rs 2,873 crore to the government exchequer.
“Proceeds of crime generated…to the tune of Rs 76.54 crore have been traced so far and have been attached,” the ED had earlier said. PTI UK UK SK SK
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