The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member and businessman Vijay Nair in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam case. Nair is reported to be a close aide of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Nair is the communication incharge of AAP. He was responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies in Punjab earlier and Gujarat, the AAP informed.

Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder and Manoj Rai, ex-employee of Pernod Ricard, Amandeep Dhal, owner of Brindco Spirits, and Sameer Mahendru, owner of Indo Spirits were allegedly actively involved in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy.

The CBI had filed an FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi's new excise policy. The central probe agency has maintained that the policy was introduced with an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender.

Meanwhile, AAP acknowledged that Nair was associated with the party but had no role in the excise policy. The outfit accused the CBI of pressurising Nair to name Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

AAP accused BJP of misusing the central probe agencies to target its leaders so that the Gujarat election campaign can be obstructed.

Vijay Nair is the communication in-charge of AAP. He was responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies in Punjab earlier and Gujarat now. He has nothing to do with excise policy. Strangely, he has been arrested by CBI just now in the excise case.

Notably, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia is an accused in the FIR.

The allegations against Sisodia are that the accused liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore.

"Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, the then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), and Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without the approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender," CBI's FIR read according to the IANS.

"Sameer Mahendru, MD, Indospirits, transferred an amount of Rs 1 crore to the account of Radha Industries, which was being managed by Dinesh Arora. Arun Ramchandra Pillai used to collect undue pecuniary advantage from Mahendru for onward transmission to accused public servants through Vijay Nair. A person named Arjun Pandey had once collected a huge cash amount of about Rs 2-4 crore from Mahendru on behalf of Nair," the CBI FIR further read.

Besides Sisodia, the CBI, in its FIR has mentioned former commissioner, Excise, Arva Gopi Krishna, ex-deputy commissioner, Excise, Anand Tiwari, former assistant commissioner (Excise), Pankaj Bhatnagar, entertainment and event management company Only Much Louder's former CEO Vijay Nair, Pernod Ricard's former employee Manoj Rai, Brindco Sales Pvt Director Amandeep Dhal, Indospirit Group Managing Director Sameer Mahendru, Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd Director Amit Arora, Mahadev Liquors' authorised signatory Sunny Marwah, three private persons Arun Ramchandra Pillai, Arjun Pandey, and Dinesh Arora and two private firms, Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd, and Mahadev Liquors.

Image courtesy: Financial Express