ED reveals how Manish Sisodia destroyed evidence in Delhi liquor scam

The ED also noted that 170 phones were destroyed/used during the period which was evident by the IMEI analysis. The ED managed to recover 17 of the 170 phones.

New Delhi, Dec 01: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a court that Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, an accused in the Delhi liquor policy scam used 14 phones. Sisodia, Kalvakuntla Kavitha and Kailash Gahlot, accused in the scam changed their phones multiple times, the ED also said. According to the ED, Amit Arora, a businessman from Delhi who was arrested on Wednesday also changed his phone 11 times. The agency has also accused Sisodia and Arora among others of destroying evidence.

"The magnitude of the destruction is such that most suspects, liquor barons, senior government officials, Excise Minister of Delhi (Manish Sisodia) and other suspects have changed their phones multiple times, where the approximate value of the devices used and destroyed comes to the whooping sum of Rs. 1.38 crores approx," the ED told the Rouse Avenue Court.

"An attempt was also made to see that the evidence pertaining to the commission of this scam running into thousands of crores were either destroyed which would contain valuable digital data and material to prove further kickbacks. It is pertinent to note that major evidence with respect to the subject liquor scam was stored in digital formats both on mobile phones and laptops, however, as soon as the scam was unearthed and the case was surfaced/handed over to investigating agency, a large number of digital devices were found to be destroyed/changed by the persons involved/suspected to be involved in this case," the ED also said.

The ED also noted that 170 phones were destroyed/used during the period which was evident by the IMEI analysis. The ED managed to recover 17 of the 170 phones.

"At least, 36 accused/suspects involved in the Excise scam have destroyed/used 170 phones (as per IMEI analysis given in the below table). Fortunately, the ED has been able to recover 17 out of 170 phones, otherwise, the kickbacks could have been much more and the involvement of other important persons would have surfaced more clearly. But in even in these phones data was found to be deleted/formatted. It is in this background and hardship that the ED had to investigate. Despite this, incriminating material has been unearthed by the ED through the arduous process of extraction and examination of numerous devices," the ED said.

On November 30, the court granted custody of businessman Amit Arora to the agency. It must be noted here that Arora is close associate of Sisodia. The agency said that Arora collected a bribe of Rs 2.5 crore from an L1 wholesaler. The collection was in collision with Dinesh Arora and the amount was part of the kickback money and the same was allegedly to be paid to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Vijay Nair.

The ED said that Arora arm twisted Mahadev Liquor in April-May this year with the help of the Punjab State government and Delhi government to surrender their companies. Later the company was allegedly forced to surrender their licence as it had not agreed to pay the kickbacks that clocked 6 per cent.

The ED said that Arora had played a crucial role in using Punjab government's pressure in April and May to get undue benefits by forcing the players in the liquor business to surrender their licences as they did not agree to pay the kickbacks and extortion.