ED raids India Ahead and Andhra Prabha offices?

The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids today on the offices of news channel India Ahead and Andhra Prabha, an ED official confirmed to Newslaundry. The official said the raid began this morning and is ongoing.

The news channel’s editor in chief Bhupendra Chaubey denied to Newslaundry that any such raid is taking place. The BJP’s official spokesperson in Telangana also alleged raids had taken place at Andhra Prabha.

There have been allegations that the raid is in connection with the investigation into Delhi’s excise policy. Earlier today, Indian Express reported that the ED was conducting searches at 35 locations across Delhi, Hyderabad and Chandigarh in connection with the case.

One of India Ahead’s employees, Arjun Pandey, who is president of sales and marketing, cropped up in the CBI’s FIR in the case – the FIR claimed Pandey is a “close associate” of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

The FIR also said that Pandey and others “are actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees to accused public servants”.

India Ahead’s Chaubey told Newslaundry that Pandey had only been a “consultant” with the channel, and that Pandey had put in his papers two months ago. The ED officer said the raid was on the channel, not Pandey specifically.