Delhi liquor scam: Who is arrested Hyderabad bizman Arun Ramachandra Pillai?

Hyderabad: Widening net, Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai in the Delhi liquor scam.

CBI named Arun Pillai in the first FIR. This is after the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manisha Sisodia.

Who is Arun Pillai?

When the CBI booked 17 members including top government officials of the Delhi Excise department, the name of Arun Ramachandra Pillai, a resident of Kondapur, cropped up.

Arun’s name in the FIR opened a can of worms. CBI began a rigorous investigation and carried out multiple searches in Hyderabad. The next to be hunted down was Boinpally Abhishek Rao. Abhishek Rao is a confidant of a top TRS leader and a business partner of another co-accused in the Delhi liquor policy scam, Arun Ramachandra Pillai.

Abhishek and Arun are co-directors of Robin Distribution LLP Company which was incorporated in July 2022. Investigation revealed that it was a ghost company that existed only on paper.

A resident of Kokapet in Hyderabad, Arun is among the 17 booked by the CBI. He reportedly was a courier who used to collect “undue pecuniary advantage” (money) from Sameer Mahendru (co-accused) of Indo Spirit and give it to the accused public servant through Vijay Nair.

Abhishek (the son of one of the sisters of Anoos Beauty Parlour) was lobbying for several liquor barons. “Abhishek was questioned for his association with Sameer Mahendru. CBI’s probe found that Abhishek Rao was acting as a south lobby and committed irregularities through cartelization. He accepted Rs. 3.85 crores from Sameer. In his defence, he cited it as a loan,” sources told NewsMeter.

Investigation revealed that Abhishek had collected Rs. 3.85 crores from co-accused Sameer Mahendru to pay a "commission" to the government officials. The money was supposed to be routed through his ghost company Robin Distribution.

Property Attached :

Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 76.54 Crore of four accused in the Delhi Liquor scam. The attached properties include Rs 2.25 crore worth of land parcel in Hyderabad owned by accused Arun Ramachandra Pillai.

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs. 76.54 Crore including residential properties worth Rs. 35 Crore in Jor Bagh, New Delhi owned by Sameer Mahandru and Smt Geetika Mahendru; the residential premise of Rs. 7.68 Crore in Magnolias, Gurugram owned by Amit Arora; the residential premise of Rs. 1.77 Crore in Crescent Bay, Parel, Mumbai, owned by Vijay Nair; assets of Rs. 3.18 Crore of 'Chica', 'La Roca', 'Unplugged Courtyard', all restaurants owned by Dinesh Arora; land parcel worth Rs. 2.25 Crore in Vattinagulapalle, Hyderabad, owned by Arun Pillai; 50 vehicles worth Rs. 10.23 Crore owned by Indospirit Group and bank balance/fixed Deposits/financial instruments worth Rs. 14.39 Crore.

ED investigation revealed 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. 2873 Crore to the government exchequer.

Proceeds of Crime generated by the activities relating to the scheduled offence under section 7 of PC Act, 2018 and 120 B of IPC, to the tune of Rs. 76.54 Crore have been traced and attached.

To date, the ED has searched multiple locations across the country including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, and other places. After analysis of seized records followed by the disclosures of various persons, the above diversion of POC has been unearthed. Six accused namely, Vijay Nair, Sameer

Mahandru, Amit Arora, Sarath Reddy, Benoy Babu, and Abhishek Boinpally have been arrested. All are currently in judicial custody. Two Prosecution Complaints have been filed and cognizance of the offence has also been taken by the Special Court, PMLA.