Delhi CM Kejriwal Summoned Over Alleged Role in Excise Policy Scandal
On July 9, 2024, a Delhi court issued a production warrant for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This follows the court’s acknowledgment of the seventh and eighth supplementary chargesheets related to the excise policy irregularities. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, while considering the chargesheets, emphasized sufficient evidence to proceed against the accused. The court scheduled a physical appearance of all accused, including Kejriwal, on July 12.
The federal probe agency had earlier filed a comprehensive 200-page chargesheet on May 17, naming Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as primary accused. Kejriwal, aged 55 and the AAP convenor, was arrested on March 21, shortly after the Delhi High Court dismissed his plea for interim protection.
The ED alleges Kejriwal’s involvement in policy formulation, kickback schemes, and the illicit use of proceeds from criminal activities. They assert substantial evidence linking him to serious economic offenses and money laundering. Additionally, Vinod Chauhan, implicated in transferring ₹25.5 crore from Delhi to Goa, and Ashish Mathur, associated with Chauhan, were named in the eighth supplementary chargesheet. Chauhan was apprehended by the ED on May 3 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), while Mathur has been chargesheeted without arrest.
The charges against Kejriwal and associates stem from their alleged proximity to irregularities in Delhi’s excise policy, evidenced by seized emails exchanged between Kejriwal and Chauhan.
