Rajesh Joshi, the director of Chariot Productions Media, is alleged to have run the AAP campaign in the 2022 Goa Assembly polls.
Published Feb 09, 2023 | 6:16 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 09, 2023 | 6:16 PM
Enforcement Directorate.
A court in New Delhi on Thursday, 9 February, sent the director of an advertising company, who is alleged to have run the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) campaign during the 2022 Goa Assembly polls, to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody for interrogation in a Delhi liquor scam-related money laundering case.
Rajesh Joshi, the director of Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd, was produced before Special Judge MK Nagpal, who sent him for custodial interrogation till 13 February.
He was arrested by the ED on Wednesday.
The agency sought 10 days’ custody, saying he was required to be confronted with other accused in the case to unearth the larger conspiracy.
It said the links of the advertising company promoter with regard to the alleged diversion of “kickbacks” for the Goa Assembly polls in 2022 are under the scanner of the agency.
The ED alleged in a charge sheet submitted to the court that a part of the alleged ₹100 crore “kickbacks” generated in the scrapped Delhi excise policy was “used” in the 2022 Goa Assembly election campaign of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP party.
It alleged that out of the “bribe” amount of ₹100 crore made by an entity called “South Group” of liquor businessmen and politicians, ₹30 crore was “handled” by another accused, Dinesh Arora, in “connivance” with another accused, Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally, Joshi and a person identified by his first name, Sudhir.
Chariot Productions, the ED said, was an entity “engaged by the AAP for related advertising and other work for their Goa election campaign for 2022 Assembly elections.”
“On following the money trail of part of this amount it has been found that Vijay Nair (AAP communication in-charge, arrested in the case earlier) has engaged in making cash payments for campaign-related work through Chariot Productions as well as through individuals.
“So far, the money trail for cash transactions of ₹70 lakh payment has been made, which is contiguous with the time of acquisition of these funds as found in the investigation,” the ED claimed in its second charge sheet filed in the case before the court last month.
The agency had also said in the charge sheet that the CDR (call data records) analysis of Dinesh Arora shows he was in touch with Joshi.
The ED, till now, has filed two prosecution complaints (ED’s equivalent to a charge sheet) in this case and has arrested a total of eight people, including Joshi.
Gautam Malhotra, son of former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Punjab Deep Malhotra, was arrested in the case on Tuesday by the ED.
The ED’s money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other excise officials of the government were named as accused in the CBI and the ED complaints.
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