Arvind Kejriwal challenged the Enforcement Directorate’s charge sheet against him in connection with the Excise Policy case. The Delhi High Court asked the ED to respond to Kejriwal’s plea, which seeks access to documents related to the sanction for prosecution. The case adds to the political and legal controversies surrounding the alleged scam.
A Delhi court instructed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond to former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s request for a copy of the necessary sanction required to prosecute him in the alleged money laundering case linked to the excise scam.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja issued this directive following Kejriwal’s application, in which he asserted that he had not received a copy of the sanction.
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In his plea, Kejriwal noted that during a recent hearing in the Delhi High Court, the ED indicated that the necessary sanction had been secured from the relevant authorities when the chargesheet was submitted.
The judge has notified the ED and ordered it to submit its reply by November 26, the scheduled date for the next hearing.
This money laundering case is associated with a CBI investigation initiated after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena called for an inquiry into alleged irregularities concerning the implementation of the excise policy. The CBI and the ED allege that improper modifications were made to the excise policy, which resulted in unwarranted benefits being granted to license holders.
The Delhi government launched the policy on November 17, 2021, but it was repealed by the end of September 2022 amid corruption allegations.
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Delhi Excise Policy case, commonly referred to as the ‘Excise Scam,’ involves allegations of corruption and irregularities in the formulation and implementation of Delhi’s 2021-2022 excise policy. The policy, introduced in November 2021, aimed to privatize the liquor trade by allowing private vendors to operate liquor shops, thereby increasing government revenue.
In March 2024, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED in connection with the case, marking the first arrest of a sitting Indian chief minister. He was later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court but remains under investigation.