The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the “kingpin and key conspirator” in the alleged Delhi excise policy Case. The ED’s seventh supplementary chargesheet accuses Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of being the “major beneficiary of proceeds of crime,” linked to extensive financial irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy of 2021-22.
The 208-page chargesheet, accepted by the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, outlines accusations against Kejriwal of demanding Rs 100 crore in kickbacks for liquor sale contracts. It alleges that Rs 45 crore of these illicit funds were used to finance AAP’s Goa election campaign in 2022, marking a severe breach of trust and legal integrity.
Direct communications between Kejriwal and Vinod Chauhan, an alleged hawala operator, are central to the ED’s case. The chargesheet includes screenshots of WhatsApp chats indicating Chauhan’s role in transferring Rs 25 crore through hawala channels for the Goa elections. The ED asserts that note numbers on hawala transactions matched data seized by the Income Tax Department, reinforcing the allegations against Kejriwal.
The ED accused Kejriwal of personally benefiting from the illicit funds. Chanpreet Singh, who managed the money sent by Chauhan, booked a stay for Kejriwal at the Grand Hyatt in Goa in November 2021. This payment, which Singh could not adequately explain, is cited as evidence of Kejriwal’s direct use of the proceeds of crime for personal luxury.
The chargesheet states Kejriwal’s lack of cooperation with the investigation, noting his deliberate evasion of nine summonses from the ED. Confronted with substantial evidence—including phone call records, WhatsApp messages, and data from the Income Tax Department—Kejriwal reportedly provided evasive responses and feigned ignorance of critical meetings and financial transactions, casting further doubt on his integrity.
The chargesheet implicates Vijay Nair, former AAP communications-in-charge, in facilitating kickbacks under the direction of Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj. Nair is accused of playing a central role in managing interactions with key stakeholders in the liquor business and orchestrating the conspiracy that led to the alleged scam.
Durgesh Pathak, AAP’s state prabhari for Goa, is accused of managing the disbursement of Rs 45 crore for the Goa election campaign. The chargesheet asserts that Pathak was crucial in handling the illicit funds, further implicating AAP in financial misconduct.
In response to the ED’s charges, AAP has vehemently denied the allegations, accusing the Union Government of orchestrating a conspiracy to dismantle their party. However, these denials do little to counter the detailed evidence presented by the ED.
The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has taken cognizance of the chargesheet and issued a production warrant for Kejriwal, scheduling his appearance for July 12. The ED has recorded Kejriwal’s statements 11 times since his initial arrest on March 21, accusing him of providing misleading information and withholding critical details during interrogation.
This case states significant issues concerning transparency and accountability in political funding. The ED alleges that AAP deliberately kept election expenses off official records and failed to disclose them to the Election Commission of India. This purported lack of transparency calls for stringent regulations and oversight mechanisms in political financing to prevent misuse of funds and ensure fair electoral practices.
The excise case involves allegations of corruption and money laundering in formulating and implementing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was later abandoned. Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena recommended a CBI investigation into the suspected irregularities. Following this, the ED registered a case under the PMLA.
Acting on a CBI FIR filed on August 17, 2022, the ED initiated its money laundering investigation on August 22, 2022, to further probe the alleged irregularities.
