Video evidence, media link surface in AP liquor scam probe
Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe on Andhra Liquor scam has unearthed links with media companies in Delhi, who were also caught in the Delhi Liquor scam. The investigators on Saturday found videos of Venkatesh Naidu, a close associate of former YSR Congress MLA Chevireddy, counting bundles of money. The video shows bundles of Rs.500 and Rs.2000 notes, and it is expected to be the kickback companies from liquor companies in 2022. The probe team got this video of note counting from the mobile phone of Venkatesh Naidu.
According to the Andhra Pradesh SIT, they have found links of money trail with Delhi-based now closed down TV channel India Ahead, headed by Bhupendra Chaubey, brother-in-law of former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena. India Ahead channel, closed down in 2022, when the TV Channel’s General Manager (Sales), Arjun Pandey, was caught in the Delhi liquor scam, routing money from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana-based liquor companies. This tainted TV channel involved in money trails from liquor companies is owned by Moota Gautam, Managing Director of Andhra Prabha newspaper and India Ahead.
In the Delhi liquor scam, Arjun Pandey is the 15th accused along with former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and more than Rs. five crore money transfer was passed through the India Ahead TV channel, shown as a consultancy fee. One Amit Goel, living in Defence Colony, the main culprit in hawala money from Andhra and Telangana, was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) along with Moota Gautam in May 2023.
“Delhi Liquor scam’s hawala money operators are also involved in Andhra Liquor Scam. Both happened during 2002 and 2023, and the liquor companies paid bribes to the YSR and AAP governments are the same. The mobile phone records show that, and we will also be looking into the role of Delhi-based hawala operators and share the probe details with CBI and ED on the role of these people. Will also share with the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Telangana government. Bribe money is transferred through hard cash, mule accounts, and consultancy fees to media companies in Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The emdia company promoters purchased luxury cars, real estate, with these hawala transactions also” said SIT officials.
Many ex-employees of India Ahead said the TV channel’s main promoters, Bhupendra Choubey and Sudeep Mukhia, in 2002 purchased Mercedes-Benz cars, when salaries were pending. More than 40 journalists approached the Labour Court against the TV channel promoters for pending salaries, after the Channel was closed down when GM Marketing Arjun Pandey (a close aide of Manish Sisodia) was caught in the Delhi liquor scam. “The TV channel was used to shuttle and park 100s of crores of bribes from Andhra and Telangana-based liquor companies to Delhi,” said former staffers.
The AP SIT officials said the same persons like Goel and Pandey behind the Delhi-based TV channel is also behind the hawala money transfer in the AP liquor scam, and most of the money trail happened between 2022 and 2023. The liquor companies paid hard cash and through mule accounts, operated by Amit Goel, to pass bribes AAP government and the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government. The TV channel’s accounts and mule accounts operated by Goel and Pandey were used in the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam, said senior SIT officials. They added that findings of the money trail to Delhi-based hawala operators linked to the TV channel will be shared with the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, which are probing the Delhi liquor scam.
(Maneesh C is a journalist)
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