Electoral bonds: Aurobindo Pharma, whose director turned approver in Delhi liquor case, gave around Rs 34 cr to BJP

The recent set of data on electoral bonds released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got donations worth around Rs 5 crore via electoral bonds from a firm owned by one of the approvers in the Delhi liquor policy case. 

The firm owned by one of the Delhi liquor case and one of BJP's many donors through the now-defunct electoral bonds is Aurobindo Pharma. P Sarath Chandra Reddy was the director of Aurobindo Pharma when he was arrested on November 10, 2022 in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. 

Days later, the company purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 5 crore. This amount was redeemed by the BJP on November 21, 2022, as per the ECI data. The donation through electoral bonds did work as in June 2023, Reddy to turn approver in the liquor policy case and extended a pardon to the now non-executive director of Aurobindo Pharma. 

The ED previously mentioned that Reddy allegedly colluded with business figures and politicians linked to the case and engaged in unfair market prices to benefit from the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy.  

Electoral bonds purchased by Aurobindo Pharma

Between April 2021 and November 2023, Aurobindo Pharma purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 52 crore, as per the latest data. It shows that 57 per cent of these bonds were purchased during November 2022 and 2023.

The ECI data mentioned that 66 per cent of these bonds were directed towards the BJP. It further said that 29 per cent being encashed by K Chandrasekhar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the remaining 5 per cent by N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

AAP on Aurobindo Pharma electoral bonds revelation

Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) mentioned Reddy's electoral bond payments. AAP leader and Delhi education minister Atishi on Saturday claimed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the case on the basis of Sarath Chandra Reddy's statement. 

Arvind Kejriwal on Friday was remanded in Enforcement Directorate's custody till March 28 for "detailled and sustained interrogation" vis a vis his role in the Delhi liqour policy case. 

The court observed Kejriwal's custodial interrogation was needed to "unearth the remaining proceeds of crime" and "to confront him with data retrieved from digital devices and material seized during the investigation."

The AAP leader also said the 'money trail' specified by the central agency in its case against Kejriwal went to the BJP by the way of electoral bonds.

"Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the same case two days back based on the statement of just one person- Sharat Chandra Reddy. He is the owner of Aurobindo Pharma, and paid to the BJP via electoral bonds," Atishi said. 

Was Sarath Chandra Reddy accused under PMLA?

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters that the BJP took around Rs 60 crore from "the biggest kingpin in the so-called excise policy case" Sarath Chandra Reddy. He also added that Reddy is an accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). 

"Hiding behind electoral bonds, the BJP took nearly Rs 60 crores from Sarath Chandra Reddy, the biggest kingpin in the so-called excise policy case. This is not an accusation, this is a fact and we have shown evidence... After Sarath Chandra Reddy was arrested, the BJP took this donation worth Rs 55 crores... ED and the central government have said he is accused under the PMLA," Bharadwaj said.