NEW DELHI: Indospirit's Managing Director Sameer Mahendru, who is being probed by the CBI for alleged bribery to influence Delhi's excise policy, was once the agency's key witness against two infrastructure and development officials convicted for graft in 2013, according to officials.
As a prosecution witness (PW-34) for the CBI, Mahendru had testified against the two officials of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
(DSIIDC) who were demanding four to five expensive liquor bottles from distributors every month for granting various favours.
His testimony was one of the clinching evidences that nailed the role of the two DSIIDC officials -- Sushanta Mukherjee and Amrik Singh -- and they were convicted by the special CBI court in 2013.
The same CBI unit -- the Anti Corruption Bureau, New Delhi -- that probed the 2008 FIR number 15A/2008/CBI/ACB/ND is now investigating the bribery charge against Mahendru, and 14 other including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The case registered on March 31, 2008 on source-based information pertained to large scale corruption by two officials of DSIIDC who were regularly seeking bribes and liquor from distributors in Delhi.
Mukherjee had retired from the DSIIDC but was inducted as an Officer on Special Duty in its Indian Made Foreign Liquor unit between June 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007 with wide ranging duties from policy to procurement of liquor.
Amrik Singh was the assistant manager (enforcement) and used to flaunt his cordial relations with Mukherjee and say he could get any work done through Mukherjee in the IMFL division.
Armed with telephone call intercepts, witnesses and evidence, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Mukherjee and Singh in 2011.
Two years later, the strong case presented by the CBI resulted in their conviction.
During the trial, Mahendru testified against Mukherjee as a CBI witness and identified both the accused in the court room.
"The fact that the liquor bottles were picked up/ obtained from DSIIDC vends by the accused persons despite protest by the suppliers and that the suppliers were made to pay for the same, is borne out from the testimony of PW-34 Sameer Mahendru," Special Judge Poonam A Bamba had noted in the judgement.
She had said it is also made out that such illegal gratification was obtained by the accused persons for expediting the release of payments to them.
When intercepted calls were played in the court, Mahendru recalled the telephonic conversation with Mukherjee.
"PW-34 deposed that during the period 2007-2008, he was working as an attorney and C and F Agent for Skol Beverages Ltd. and had been supplying its brands to various outlets of DSIIDC. He knew both the accused persons and identified them in the court," the Judge had noted.
Mahendru now stands accused of making illegal payments of Rs 4-5 crore to two "close associates" of Sisodia on different occasions.
The agency has accused Mahendru as one of the businessmen who were "actively involved" in alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of Delhi government for the year 2021-22.
The CBI has raided multiple places in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the policy.
The policy was rolled back by the Delhi government last month.