In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against the Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, accompanied by Special Public Prosecutors, made their way to the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court to file a supplementary chargesheet, marking the eighth such filing in the Delhi excise policy case.
This is the first time that Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 and granted 21-day interim bail by the Supreme Court last week, has been mentioned as an accused in the ED’s chargesheet. This is also the first time that a political party has been mentioned as an accused by the ED in a case.
The central probe agency had earlier said Kejriwal was “directly involved in the formulation” of the excise policy, which was drafted “considering the favours to be granted to the South Group”.
The charge sheet has been submitted before a special court, seeking to charge the accused under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to sources familiar with the matter.
Kejriwal is alleged to have played a pivotal role in the purported excise policy scam. The ED has previously referred to him as the “kingpin and key conspirator” of the scam. The inclusion of AAP as an accused underscores the federal agency’s assertions regarding the party’s alleged complicity in the illicit activities surrounding the excise policy.
“AAP is a beneficiary which exists as a company. Every person responsible for the conduct of the company is responsible… apart from being liable as an individual, the CM is also vicariously liable (as national convener of the party),” Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, had earlier told a Delhi court.
This chargesheet marked the eighth filing by the ED in the ongoing investigation. The agency has arrested a total of 18 individuals in connection with the case thus far.
Recently, the agency lodged a similar complaint against BRS leader and former Telangana chief minister Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha and four others.
The case stemmed from alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021–22, prompting a recommendation by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for a CBI probe.