Delhi liquor policy case: Accused-turned-approver’s father gets Lok Sabha ticket from BJP ally

Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, the father of an accused-turned-approver in the Delhi liquor policy case, on Friday got a Lok Sabha election ticket from the Telugu Desam Party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, The Indian Express reported.

Reddy’s son Raghav Magunta was granted pardon and made an approver in the Enforcement Directorate’s case on October 3. On February 29, a Delhi court also allowed him to turn an approver in the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, according to PTI.

Both Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and Raghav Magunta switched from the YSR Congress Party to the Telugu Desam Party on February 28. Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy is a four-time MP from Ongole. This time as well, he has got a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha election from the same constituency.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday mentioned the father-son duo in his remarks before a city court, and alleged that the Ongole MP gave a statement against him under duress after his son was arrested in February 2023.

Kejriwal noted that Raghav Magunta got bail once he turned approver in October.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with the liquor policy case. He is the first sitting chief minister to have been arrested.

Both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. The Telugu Desam Party on Friday announced four candidates for the Lok Sabha election and nine candidates for the Assembly election.

Delhi liquor policy case

The Enforcement Directorate’s case is based on a first information report registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging irregularities in the Delhi government’s now-scrapped liquor excise policy.

The agencies have alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government modified Delhi’s liquor excise policy to ensure a 12% profit margin for wholesalers and a nearly 185% profit margin for retailers.

The Enforcement Directorate has also claimed that members of a “South Group” had paid at least Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party through businessman Vijay Nair, who is currently in jail.