Liquor policy case: ED moves SC challenging Delhi HC order granting interim bail to Raghav

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea challenging the Delhi High Court order granting interim bail to Raghav Magunta in the liquor policy money laundering case.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju urged the bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal for urgent listing. The court agreed to list the matter on Friday. ASG SV Raju sought to stay the Delhi HC order granting interim bail.

ASG SV informed the bench that in this matter the regular bail of the accused is rejected by the trial court, and then another bail for the wife's health was also rejected and withdrawn in High Court.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Raghav Magunta, son of YSR Congress Party MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, in the Delhi excise policy money laundering case.

Magunta Raghava Reddy was arrested by ED on February 10 in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.

In the Delhi HC, Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for Raghav Magunta and apprised the court that his grandmother is in the ICU in Nellore and is critical as she had a fall and has hurt her head with internal bleeding.

Earlier, the trial court had dismissed his default bail. Raghav Magunta's regular bail plea was also dismissed by the trial Court in April where the judge said, "The court is prima facie of the view that there is a genuine case made out by the investigating agency showing active involvement of the applicant in the commission of the alleged offence of money laundering and this court is not able to arrive at any finding contrary to the said view".

According to the ED, Raghav through his proxy person Prem Rahul Manduri also held 32.5 percent stakes in Indo Spirits, which held L1 wholesale license. Raghav being part of the South group was part and beneficiary of the conspiracy in which the South Group paid Rs 100 crore approx to the Aam Admi Party (AAP).

ED earlier stated that Raghav Magunta is one of the key persons in the conspiracy of cartelisation and kickbacks hatched along with various persons in the Delhi Excise policy 2021-22 scam. Raghav Magunta is the owner of liquor manufacturing units in the name of Enrica Enterprises Pvt Ltd located in Chennai.

ED had said that he further controlled two retail zones in the name of Magunta Agro Farms Pvt Ltd directly in contravention of the Excise Policy 2021-22 where a manufacturer was not permitted to hold either retail or wholesale operations. As part of the South group, Raghav was part and beneficiary of the conspiracy in which the South Group paid Rs 100 crore (approx) to the AAP, said ED.

The ED and the CBI had, last year registered cases alleging that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.