The Rouse Avenue Court granted bail on Monday to Hyderabad-based chartered accountant Butchibabu Gorantla, arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. Butchibabu Gorantla is the former auditor of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter MLC K Kavitha whose name surfaced in the case. Special Judge MK Nagpal on Monday granted bail to Butchibabu and asked him to surrender his Passport.
The same court on Monday also sent former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia to judicial remand till 20 March, in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
The court also imposed a condition while granting bail that the accused shall not tamper with evidence and influence witnesses.
Recently Rouse Avenue Court granted permission to Enforcement Directorate (ED) to quiz Butchibabu Gorantla in judicial custody. ED had moved an application and sought permission to quiz him and also to record his statement in the money laundering case pertaining to the Excise Policy.
CBI arrested Butchibabu in the Delhi excise policy case on February 8. After his arrest, CBI informed in a statement that the accused CA was arrested for his alleged role in formulating and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy and causing wrongful gain to Hyderabad-based wholesale and retail licensees and their beneficial owners. Recently ED in its chargesheet stated that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) investigation done so far revealed that, the Delhi Excise Policy, 2021-22 was created by the top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to continuously generate and channel illegal funds to themselves.
ED further stated that the extent of involvement and abatement done by AAP leaders of the criminal activities undertaken by the accused covered in the subject Prosecution Complaint further substantiates their design and scheme of the scam.
