The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said during a hearing at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told the agency that the co-accused in the excise policy case Vijay Nair reported to Delhi minister Atishi and not to him.
“Arvind Kejriwal’s conduct has been totally non-cooperative and he has tried to mislead the interrogation. He said Vijay Nair does not report to me but to Atishi. Kejriwal is not sharing the password for his phone,” SV Raju argued for ED.
Who is Vijay Nair?
Vijay Nair is the ex-communication incharge of AAP and is one of the accused in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22.
As reported by News18, Nair was a part-time volunteer with the AAP ahead of the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. He handled social media communications and marketing for the party.
Nair is a former CEO of an entertainment and events management company — Only Much Louder (OML), Indian Express reported. An entrepreneur, Nair dropped out of college to start OML, which was headquartered in Mumbai, The Quint reported.
OML gained recognition for organising NH7 Weekender concerts, supporting independent artists, and nurturing comedy groups like East India Comedy and All India Bakchod. Nair was also linked with Babblefish and Motherswear companies, The Quint’s report said.
As per The Caravan, during the 2018 Me Too Movement, Nair was accused of misconduct and sexual harassment. Moreover, he has also been accused of fostering an environment that sustained sexual harassment, sexism, and misogyny during his tenure as the CEO of OML. As per the report, “He asked a woman to get into a bathtub with him and told another at 2 am that he needed a massage.”
Nair was heading a business worth $10 million in 2014, the Economic Times reported. He was also on Fortune India’s 40 under 40 list in 2016.
Cases against Nair
Nair was held in custody since November 2022, when he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While he was granted regular bail in the CBI case, he remained in custody in connection with the ED case before being granted an interim bail on medical grounds in January this year. He is currently in jail.
An FIR by the CBI stated, “Reliable sources have revealed that Vijay Nair, former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company; Manoj Rai, ex-employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, owner of Brindco Spirits; and Sameer Mahendru, owner of Indospirit, are actively involved in irregularities in framing and implementation of excise policy.”
CBI had alleged that Nair used to collect bribes from a liquor firm owner.
Soon after his arrest in November 2022, AAP said in a press release, “Nair is communication in-charge of the party. He was responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies in Punjab earlier and Gujarat now.”
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