ED to make AAP accused in Delhi excise policy case
What's the story
The Enforcement Directorate has told the Delhi High Court that it will make Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party an accused in the excise policy scam case. The central agency made the submission while the court was considering AAP leader Manish Sisodia's plea seeking bail in the Delhi excise policy case. This will be the first time in Indian politics wherein a political party will be implicated directly in a case.
Context
Why does this story matter?
In November 2021, the Delhi government introduced the excise policy for 2021-22. However, less than a year later, it opted to abandon it following widespread corruption accusations. Central investigation agencies asserted that wholesaler profit margins were artificially inflated to 12% from 5%, promoting cartelization and benefiting ineligible license holders. The Kejriwal-led Delhi administration had refuted the allegations, arguing that the policy would have boosted revenue.
Information
AAP's alleged role in excise policy scam
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleges that liquor companies involved paid kickbacks amounting to ₹100 crore to the AAP, some of which were routed to public servants. According to the ED, the party used the illegally generated funds to campaign for the Goa and Punjab elections
Rouse Avenue Court
K Kavitha's judicial custody extended till May 20
Separately, a Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha till May 20 in connection with the excise policy case. The Rouse Avenue Court deferred hearing arguments on consideration of the sixth supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED in connection with the probe. Last Friday, the ED had filed a nearly 200-page prosecution chargesheet along with annexures under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Chargesheet
Kavitha, others named in latest chargesheet
Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, three employees of a company that handled the AAP's Goa campaign (Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd)—Damodar Sharma, Prince Kumar and Chanpreet Singh—and a former employee of India Ahead news channel Arvind Singh have been named as accused in the latest chargesheet.