Arvind Kejriwal was the ‘kingpin’ of excise policy case, ED says in chargesheet

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was the “kingpin” and “key conspirator” in the 2021-22 excise policy “scam”, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said in its seventh supplementary chargesheet in the case.

The probe agency had filed the chargesheet on May 17, in which it had named Mr. Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as accused. Taking cognisance of the chargesheet, a city court had a day earlier summoned the AAP chief on July 12.

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The ED has stated that the AAP chief, listed as accused number 37 in the chargesheet, worked in collusion with his Cabinet colleagues, AAP leaders, and some other persons “to hatch a conspiracy with the aim to favour certain individuals”.

The agency said that the now-withdrawn policy was drafted considering favours to be granted to the “South Group”, which in return paid ₹100 crore bribe to AAP. It added that the AAP chief concealed the proceeds of crime using cash transfers and Hawala channels.

The agency also said that the excise policy was an outcome of “a conspiracy of quid pro quo” to continuously generate and channel funds to AAP and that the Delhi CM was involved in demanding kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange for favours granted in the liquor policy.

“Mr. Kejriwal knowingly got involved in the use of proceeds of crime thus generated in the Goa election campaign of AAP of which he is the convenor and the ultimate decision maker,” the Central agency said in the chargesheet.

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“Further, even calling for comments/suggestions from the public was only an eyewash,” the ED added.

In its chargesheet, the probe agency has included statements of AAP’s national treasurer and Rajya Sabha member N.D. Gupta, businessman Abhishek Boinpally (a member of the alleged “South Group”), and Buchi Babu, an aide of Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha, who is also an accused in the case and is currently in judicial custody. It has also quoted Telugu Desam Party’ Lok Sabha member Magunta S. Reddy and his son Raghav Magunta, both of who are accused-turned-approvers in the case.