The Delhi High Court Today (Dec 4) sought the responses of several AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, and BRS leader K Kavitha on the ED’s plea challenging a trial court’s order directing it to supply “unrelied documents” to those accused in the alleged money laundering case related to the excise policy. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued notices to all the 40 accused on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) petition as well as its application for stay in the case.
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NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, to respond to a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The ED’s petition challenges a trial court’s order that directed the agency to supply “unrelied documents” to the accused in an alleged money laundering case linked to the controversial excise policy.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued notices to all 40 accused named in the ED’s petition, including a separate application for a stay in the proceedings. The court scheduled the next hearing for January 30, 2024.
Among the accused are notable political figures such as former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, along with several prominent businessmen. These individuals are under scrutiny for their alleged roles in the money laundering case, which originates from irregularities tied to Delhi’s excise policy.
In November, a trial court ordered the ED to provide the chargesheet and digitized versions of the remaining “unrelied documents“—those that the prosecution does not intend to use as evidence—to the accused.
The ED, however, contested this directive. Its counsel argued that, based on the Supreme Court’s guidelines, the agency is only required to provide a list of unrelied documents during the scrutiny stage, not the actual documents themselves.
The High Court was apprised that the trial court is scheduled to further deliberate on the matter on December 21. Meanwhile, the High Court’s decision to hear the ED’s plea in January adds another layer of legal examination to the proceedings.
The money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe initiated after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena recommended an inquiry into alleged irregularities. According to both the CBI and ED, modifications to the excise policy led to undue benefits being granted to license holders.
The controversial excise policy was introduced by the Delhi government on November 17, 2021. However, amid allegations of corruption and impropriety, the policy was repealed in late September 2022.
The ED and CBI have accused the Delhi government of various lapses in implementing the excise policy. The allegations suggest that these lapses facilitated illegal monetary gains, prompting the subsequent investigations and legal battles.
This high-profile case continues to garner attention as it involves prominent political leaders and has wide-reaching implications for governance and accountability in policy implementation. The High Court’s decision in January is expected to shed more light on the issue.
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