The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday unearthed crucial evidence, including “large-scale destruction of digital evidence”, of a meeting between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in connection with the change in profit margins during the ‘South Group’ probe. Did. The money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise Policy, according to the latest remand notice obtained by CNN-News18.
A Delhi court extended the ED’s custody of Sisodia by five days after the central agency argued that crucial evidence has been found in the case and further investigation should be done in the matter.
mass destruction of digital evidence
The agency told the court that digital evidence, including deliberately changing 14 phones, was destroyed to exonerate Sisodia’s involvement, including proceeds of crime dealing, money transactions and participation in the process, with the proceeds of crime. Related activities are included. To commit the offense of money laundering.
It said, “The arrested person is involved in large-scale destruction of evidence to hinder the investigation and destroy evidence.”
During a year of the liquor scam, the agency claimed that Sisodia had changed 14 phones or IMEIs, and only one phone could be recovered during the search and seizure by the CBI, while Sisodia could produce two phones during investigation.
Mobile phone switched on on the day of complaint register
The agency claimed that most of the mobile phones that Sisodia was using for at least eight months were replaced on July 22, 2022, the date the LG sent the complaint to the CBI in the liquor scam case. It was covered in the media.
“This conclusion of destruction of mobile phones is based on the fact that these 11 mobile phones/IMELs were not recovered during the intensive searches or interrogation carried out by the central investigating agencies,” the statement said.
The agency listed the names of people under whom Sisodia’s phones were purchased, including his personal assistants (PAs) Devendra Sharma, Sudhir Kumar, Javed Khan and Romando Cloth.
Sisodia’s ‘well-intentioned plan’ to destroy evidence
Using SIM card issued by Manish Sisodia in the name of another person and using WhatsApp
The ED claimed that linking to the SIM ensures that no trace is left behind. It noted that Sisodia’s login from SIM to WhatsApp was “highly suspicious in nature” as it coincided with the LG’s letter to the CBI regarding the Delhi liquor scam.
“Using a SIM card and handset registered in the name of another person amounts to denial that WhatsApp/data is linked to the SIM and stored in the phone. This not only shows a deliberate plan to destroy the evidence by destroying and rendering the mobile handset untraceable, but also creates a legal impediment with respect to the admissibility of evidence on the ground that the data stored in the mobile phone and the data associated with the SIM are the same. belongs to the person. who is the actual owner of the SIM as well as the handset and is not the actual user,” the statement read.
Fixing 12% profit margin in collusion with South Group
The agency claimed that the Group of Ministers (GoM) meetings were only a “sham”, and no discussions or decisions were taken in these GoM meetings. Key recommendations presented in the GoM report, including fixing of 12 per cent profit margin clause, were neither discussed nor decided in these meetings.
Citing documents seized from Sisodia’s personal computer, the wholesale profit margin was recommended to be kept at only 5 per cent. According to a document found from another system in the conference room of his office, the amount was “magically changed” on March 19, 2021, without taking any input from the concerned departments and without holding a GoM meeting.
Proving its case, it cited Sisodia’s secretary, who has deposed before the agency in connection with the matter, and said that he was called to Arvind Kejriwal’s residence between March 15-19, 2021, and was informed about the GOM report. A document containing the draft was handed over. “This document includes for the first time a 12% profit margin for wholesale,” it noted.
The timing of the change in profit margin from 5 to 15 per cent also coincides with members and representatives of the ‘South Group’, reportedly including Telangana Chief Minister KCR’s daughter Kavitha, staying at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi. , from 14 March to 17 March 2021.
In addition to the overlap of stay times with the changes in the document, it is noted that “portions of the final GOM report were found in the mobile phones of these members and representatives of the South Group two days before the GOM submitted its report”. Council of Ministers.”
The ED told the court that it has retrieved Sisodia’s iCloud data, which contained 1.23 lakh email dumps, and it needed time to examine them.
Besides, it listed summons to Rahul Singh, former Excise Commissioner, C Arvind,
Amit Arora, secretary to the then Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Arora, has been released for questioning by the ED and said that he will be confronted with Sisodia for the investigation.
AAP condemns ‘politics of revenge’
Soon after the ED sent the former deputy chief minister to ED custody till March 22, AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged the “whole episode” was “triggered by political vendetta, aimed at defaming the Delhi government, derailing its work and destroying Delhi”. described as “punishing you for choosing”. ,
Singh pointed finger at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi And said “The whole country will not forget that you have considered Sisodia a terrorist.” He said, “People of the country elected you Modiji as PM. But you are misusing your position to harass people like Sisodia.”
AAP leader Raghav Chadha claimed that CBI and ED have no evidence against Sisodia and he is behind bars because of BJP’s vendetta politics. Revenge. CBI and ED have no evidence against Manish Sisodia. They have only fabricated stories against him. When the court said that the CBI took Sisodia on remand, interrogated him and found nothing against him, it asked the ED to frame more false cases against him.”
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