Delhi Liquor Policy Case
New Delhi : The Union home ministry has authorized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to initiate prosecution against former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal concerning alleged irregularities in the now-repealed Delhi excise policy for 2021-22, as reported by sources on Wednesday.
This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling on November 6, which mandated that the ED must obtain prior approval, similar to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), for prosecutions under section 197 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (now section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) in cases of money laundering. The Delhi court had been awaiting the necessary sanction to frame charges against Kejriwal in relation to the excise policy case.
Last month, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena granted permission for the agency to prosecute Kejriwal. The CBI had received similar authorization in August 2024 for its concurrent corruption investigation linked to the excise policy.
The ED had arrested Kejriwal, who is currently out on bail, on March 21 under the PMLA and included him in a charge sheet on May 17, alleging that ₹45 crore of an estimated ₹100 crore bribe received for favoring specific liquor traders was utilized for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s campaign in Goa. The ED asserted that Kejriwal bore ultimate responsibility for the management and generation of these funds as the national convenor and a member of AAP’s national executive, characterizing him as the mastermind behind the party’s operations.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated that Kejriwal was a founding member and played a significant role in the decision-making process regarding the policy, referencing witness testimonies. The agency accused him of soliciting kickbacks and asserted that proceeds of crime amounting to ₹1,100 crore have been identified.
The ED characterized Kejriwal as the “kingpin” in the irregularities associated with the excise policy. It alleged that Kejriwal, along with his then deputy Manish Sisodia and former AAP media head Vijay Nair, requested “additional” funds exceeding ₹100 crore in kickbacks for their electoral financing.
Furthermore, the agency claimed that Vinod Chauhan, a close associate of Kejriwal, facilitated the transfer of ₹25.5 crore in bribe money for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Delhi to Goa. Kejriwal has refuted all allegations made against him.
