Delhi Excise Policy Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) benefited from illicit funds generated through a criminal conspiracy related to the Excise Policy case. The CBI claims that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor and overall in-charge of AAP, has been involved in the criminal conspiracy related to the formulation and implementation of policy from the start.
Kejriwal plan to privatise Excise Policy
In its supplementary charge sheet, the CBI alleged that Kejriwal had a pre-conceived plan to privatise the Excise Policy and sought monetary support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in March 2021. This was during the formulation of the policy by the Group of Ministers (GoM) led by co-accused Manish Sisodia.
The probe agency further said that Kejriwal's close associate, Vijay Nair, who was granted bail earlier this week by the Supreme Court, allegedly approached various stakeholders in the Delhi excise business, demanding illegal gratification in exchange for favourable adjustments to the Excise Policy.
The charge sheet claims since Nair had no authority to approach stakeholders, he couldn't have done so without Arvind Kejriwal's authorisation and direction.
'AAP's disclosure of expenditure during Goa poll campaign misleading'
The CBI has further alleged that the AAP's statement on election expenditure for the Goa Assembly Elections 2022 is misleading as it only listed payments made through bank transactions, omitting substantial cash payments made to vendors, assembly managers, booth in-charges, and volunteers.
The investigation said that the illicit funds generated from the criminal conspiracy related to the policy were used to cover the election expenses of AAP.
The CBI has said that oral and documentary evidence shows that AAP leader Durgesh Pathak, who was the overall in-charge of AAP for the Goa assembly elections, managed the election-related expenditures. It is also established that Chanpreet Singh Rayat collected illicit money through hawala channels in Goa and made cash payments. Rayat acted under the direction of Pathak.
(With ANI inputs)
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