India: Accused Pillai tells court ED forged his statements, forced him to sign them

Arun Ramchandra Pillai

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, has moved a city court accusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of forging his statements in the matter.

The ED had claimed that he is a close aide of BRS MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter K Kavitha and an alleged frontman of the liquor cartel - "South Group" - that paid kickbacks amounting to about Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to gain a larger share of the market in the national capital under the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2020-21.

Special Judge M K Nagpal has issued a notice to the ED on the application by Pillai and directed the agency to file its reply by March 13.