Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot left the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office after about 5 hours of questioning by the ED officials. At around 11 AM, he reached the ED office after the agency summoned him in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi Liquor policy scam case.
Speaking with the media after the questioning, Kailash Gehlot claimed that he responded to all the questions asked by the ED officials. Distancing himself from the illegal funding row, he claimed that he was unaware of the Goa poll campaign as he was never a part of it.
However, the AAP Minister confirmed that Vijay Nair, former AAP communications in-charge an a key accused in the Delhi liquor policy scam case, had stayed at the official bungalow in Civil Lines allotted to him. Gehlot claimed that the house was vacant as his family had declined to shift from their private residence.
He told reporters, “Whatever questions were asked to me, I answered all of them.”
Regarding Vijay Nair’s stay at his official bungalow, he said, “The government bungalow was allotted to me in Civil Lines, but I have always stayed in my private residence in Vasant Kunj because my wife and kids didn’t want to move from there. Vijay Nair was living in the bungalow allotted to me… No cross-questioning was conducted…”
However, he said that he is not aware whether Vijay Nair is living in the house at present.
#WATCH | After questioning by the ED in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi Excise Policy, Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot says, "Whatever questions were asked to me, I answered all of them… The government bungalow was allotted to me in Civil Lines, but I have always… https://t.co/n1GkuwukLg pic.twitter.com/b0ZoJ3bRi9
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2024
Notably, Kailash Gehlot’s official bungalow is located next to the Chief Minister’s residence. Nair was allotted Gehlot’s house even though he didn’t hold any official post. Moreover, he also operated from the Camp office of Arvind Kejriwal. Vijay Nair was the man who received ₹100 crore from the South Group on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal and AAP.
Responding to a media query that he responded on his first summons, while Delhi CM had ignored nine summons, Gehlot said that he appeared on his second summons. The first summons was issued one month ago during assembly proceedings. I had sought some time, he added.
The MLA from Najafgarh, Gehlot was part of the panel that prepared the draft of the controversial Delhi government’s liquor policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped following accusations of wrongdoings and corruption. According to the ED, the draft liquor policy was leaked to the ‘South Group’.
According to the ED, Gehlot allowed then AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair to use his official residence while the liquor policy was being drafted. The ED earlier stated that the AAP Minister Kailash Gehlot had repeatedly changed his mobile numbers.
Meanwhile, while speaking with reporters following ED questioning today, Gehlot distanced himself from the Goa poll campaigning team stating, “I have never been part of the Goa election campaign and I am unaware of what happened…”
Earlier in the day, OpIndia reported that legal troubles could be mounting for AAP Minister Atishi Marlena. Marlena was AAP Goa In-charge when Rs 45 crores, proceeds of crime generated from liquor scam as per ED, was used for campaigning in the state assembly elections.
The developments come after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in this case. He is currently in ED custody, till 1st April.
IT Department seizes jewellery worth over Rs. 2 crores and Rs. 37 lakh in cash from AAP Minister Kailash Gehlot
This is not the first time that the AAP minister Kailash Gehlot has come under the scanner of law agencies. Earlier, the I-T department seized unaccounted jewellery worth Rs. 28 lakhs from a locker in the name of Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot and his wife. The total seizure amounts to Rs. 2 crores of jewellery and cash of Rs. 37 lakhs. The raid was conducted on 25th October 2018.
Earlier that month, the Income Tax Department had conducted raids on multiple premises associated with AAP leader and Delhi minister Kailash Gehlot in connection with an alleged tax evasion case. The IT officials had conducted searches in at least 16 locations in Delhi and Gurgaon.
I-T officials had earlier claimed that they found documents showing the Delhi Cabinet Minister evaded Rs 120 crore in taxes. The documents recovered from the minister’s premises showed office boys, peons, and other employees were extended loans and held equity worth Rs. 70 crores in several “shell” companies.
