HYDERABAD: What will the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI do next in the BRS MLAs poaching case and the Delhi liquor scam?
While the two agencies appear to be keen on investigating them in depth, what is surprising is the speed with which they are probing the two cases.
The ED, in an unexpected move, began probing possible money laundering by BRS MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy, who is the main complainant in the Poachgate case. The ED grilled Rohith Reddy for two days after keeping him guessing why and finally revealing that they were looking for PMLA violations in the Poachgate case as there was a mention of `100 crore offer to him in his complaint to the police to switch to BJP.
The ED then issued notice to 7 Hills Manikchand director Abhishek Avala in connection with the Poachgate case and grilled him for almost nine hours about his finances and the business transactions he had done with Nandu Kumar who is an accused in the same case. The ED also quizzed Abhishek about his financial deals with Rohith Reddy’s brother Rithesh Reddy.
As regards Delhi liquor scam, the ED first mentioned BRS MLC K Kavitha’s name in a charge sheet which it filed with a Delhi court when it produced one of the accused, Amit Arora, in November. The ED said Kavitha was part of the “South Group” which allegedly paid the AAP Rs 100 crore in kickbacks.
Then the ED, in a prosecution complaint, which the Delhi court took on record recently, mentioned Kavitha’s name several times though, in neither document, it had listed her as accused, but gave enough content in them giving rise to suspicion if it intends to list her as an accused at a later date.
Another sword of Damocles hanging over Kavitha is the subtle hint that the CBI has dropped that it might summon her under Section 42 (a) of the CrPC in the future in regard to her role in the Delhi liquor scam. This indication was given by the CBI after its officials recorded her statement as a witness recently over her possible involvement in the scam which looked more like grilling than taking her statement as the exercise went throughout the day.
Leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties are watching the moves of both the investigation agencies with growing interest. Those who have anything to do with either of the two cases are worried about when the officials of the two agencies would come knocking on their doors.
The speed with which both the agencies are moving leaves little doubt that sooner than later they are planning a big move. The agency has also sought custody of Nandu Kumar who is a remand prisoner and is one of the accused in the Poachgate case.
The ED also showed unusual interest in casino operator Chikoti Praveen Kumar’s case and in this connection, it had grilled the brothers of Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, his personal assistant and personal secretary as well as MLC L Ramana.
In another case, the ED swooped down on another ruling party leader, this time BC Welfare Minister Gangula Kamalakar, and conducted searches at his residence and offices in connection with FEMA violations allegedly resorted to by the granite companies owned by his family members while transacting with firms in China.