In a major development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on November 2 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Kejriwal (55) has been issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and according to the sources, the agency will record his statement once he deposes before the investigating officer of the case in Delhi.
This comes after the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the bail pleas of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with corruption and money-laundering cases involving now-scrapped excise policy for the national capital.
The verdict was pronounced by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, which had reserved its verdict on October 17 on both pleas.
'Centre wants to end AAP': Bharadwaj
Reacting to the development, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Centre of leaving no stone unturned to 'finish' the party through fake cases. "The Centre has only one objective -- to destroy the Aam Aadmi Party at any cost," he said in a video post on X.
Delhi minister ATishi also alleged that BJP is 'scared' of the work being done by AAP in Delhi and Punjab. "BJP is scared of AAP and the work being done in Punjab and Delhi by the government...Therefore, they are trying to frame AAP leaders in false cases and send them to jail. They want to finish the party...," she said.
Speaking to ANI, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva reiterated allegations that Kejriwal was the 'kingpin' of the case and said that the Delhi CM and his team's true faces have been unveiled.
"When SC denied the bail plea of Manish Sisodia and established that Rs 338 crore money trailing, so, Arvind Kejriwal has to tell that where have they spent Rs 338 crore...Arvind Kejriwal and his entire team who calls themselves honest, their faces have been unveiled," he said.
BJP leader Harish Khurana also remarked that Kejriwal was the 'mastermind and kingpin' of the Delhi excise policy case. "We've just received the news that ED has summoned Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case & asked to appear before them on 2nd November...This becomes even more important after the SC rejected the bail plea of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia this morning," he said.
Sisodia's arrest
On February 26, Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged role in the "scam". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader has been in custody since then. The ED arrested Sisodia in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 after questioning him in the Tihar jail.
On October 17, the apex court had informed ED that it would be challenging to establish Sisodia's money-laundering case if a bribe purportedly received for altering the Delhi excise policy is not included in the predicate offence. It had informed the federal agency that it could not operate under the presumption that bribes were paid and that it was necessary to provide any legal protections.
Why did the HC deny bail to Sisodia?
The high court denied him bail in the CBI case on May 30, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a "high-profile" person who has the potential to influence the witnesses. On July 3, the high court declined him bail in the money-laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, holding that the charges against him are "very serious in nature".
The Delhi government had implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption. According to the investigating agencies, the profit margins of wholesalers were increased from 5 to 12 per cent under the new policy.
The ED's money laundering case stems from the CBI FIR. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and undue favours were extended to licence holders.
The agencies have alleged that the new policy resulted in cartelisation and those ineligible for liquor licences were favoured for monetary benefits. However, the Delhi government and Sisodia have denied any wrongdoing and said the new policy would have led to an increase in the State's revenue share.
(with inputs from agencies)
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