Excise policy case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to file a supplementary chargesheet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (May 10) in an excise policy-linked money laundering case, said sources. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 over the alleged Delhi Excise Policy case.
According to the sources, the central probe agency may also file the chargesheet against BRS leader K Kavitha, who was by ED on March 15, in this case.
Within 60 days in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case, the ED is required to file a chargesheet. Due to Kavita’s arrest on March 15, the ED must submit a supplementary chargesheet by May 15. In this chargesheet, Arvind Kejriwal is also likely to be named as an accused. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could also be implicated in the same charge sheet by the ED, said sources.
This will mark the first instance of Kejriwal being named as an accused in the case. The investigating agency claimed that it has traced a money trail connected to Kejriwal.
Interestingly, the timing of the ED’s action aligns with a Supreme Court hearing scheduled for Friday regarding interim bail for Kejriwal in the liquor policy case.
Court on Arvind Kejriwal’s bail
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (May 7) reserved its order on the Delhi Chief Minister’s plea challenging his arrest by the ED in the money laundering case linked to a liquor scam. The court did not pronounce any order on Tuesday and reserved the verdict. The top court is likely to hear the case on Thursday or next week.
Supreme Court told Kejriwal’s lawyer that if it gives interim bail to Kejriwal it doesn’t want him to be performing official duties as somewhere it will lead to conflict. “We do not want interference at all in the working of the government,” it said. Supreme Court said if elections were not there then it would not have given any interim relief.
The court said, “We do not want interference at all in the working of the government. Arvind Kejriwal is the elected Chief Minister of Delhi and the current circumstances are extraordinary, given the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.”
Delhi excise policy scam
The case pertains to the alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped. The case originated from a report presented by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting purported procedural deficiencies in the development of the policy. The report said “arbitrary and unilateral decisions” taken by AAP leader Manish Sisodia in his capacity as Excise Minister had resulted in “financial losses to the exchequer” estimated at more than Rs 580 crore.
Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED in the excise policy case. The agency has alleged that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal for formulating the excise policy that resulted in undue benefits for them in return for which they paid kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party.
Also Read: Excise policy case: Delhi court extends judicial custody of Manish Sisodia till May 15