The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to name the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an accused in a fresh chargesheet related to a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. This marks the first instance where a national party is implicated in a corruption case by a government agency.
The ED’s chargesheet is expected to also name Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as an accused for the first time, alleging his pivotal role in the liquor policy case. The agency reportedly identifies Kejriwal as the ‘kingpin’ and key conspirator in the scandal.
#WATCH | Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate arrives at Rouse Avenue Court to file a supplementary prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) in the Excise Policy case. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/CkUsRIygg8
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2024
Key assertions by the ED include establishing a money trail directly linked to Kejriwal. Previously, the agency had informed a Delhi court that approximately Rs 45 crore of kickbacks received by AAP were utilized during the party’s campaign in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.
The timing of the filing of the chargesheet hinges on the Supreme Court’s impending hearing on interim bail for Kejriwal, scheduled for Friday. Sources suggest that if the hearing extends, the chargesheet could be filed the following day.
BIG ⚡️ ⚡️ ED on front foot, To file chargesheet in Delhi Court. AAP to be named as an accused in the chargesheet. CM Kejriwal also to named as accused.
For the first time, Enforcement Directorate to make a Polical Party accused in corruption casepic.twitter.com/N7WEdl6X0c
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) May 10, 2024
As per legal protocol, filing a chargesheet against an accused is mandatory within two months of arrest, with Kejriwal set to complete two months in judicial custody on May 21. He was apprehended on March 21 in connection with the liquor policy case and is currently incarcerated in Tihar Jail.
If lodged, this will mark the seventh chargesheet filed by the ED in the ongoing investigation into the liquor policy case. To date, the agency has arrested 18 individuals, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. Notably, Singh was granted bail last month.
Responding to the ED’s affidavit contesting Kejriwal’s interim bail, the AAP has lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court’s registry, denouncing the affidavit as a blatant disregard of legal procedures.
The ruling party in Delhi asserts that the affidavit was submitted without the requisite approval from the apex court and was issued just a day before the final decision on Kejriwal’s interim bail.
ALSO READ: “Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Gets Interim Bail Till June 1”
The unfolding developments signify a critical juncture in the legal proceedings surrounding the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, with ramifications extending to the political landscape, particularly for the AAP and its leadership.
Comments