ED Arrests Arvind Kejriwal- How the Delhi excise policy case unfolded
New Delhi, March 24
The Enforcement Directorate finally arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case scam after he kept skipping summons of the agency. Kejriwal, the two-time CM, is the first serving chief minister to be arrested.
Hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant any protection to Kejriwal ED officers reached his residence. A 12-member team of the central agency had arrived at his home hours on March 21 evening with a search warrant to conduct raids and a copy of the 10th summons.
In November 2021, the Delhi government, under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership, introduced a new excise policy aimed at modernising alcohol sales in the city. However, this move received mixed reviews, with some applauding its progressive approach while others raised concerns about its potential financial and public health implications.
Less than a year later, in July 2022, Delhi's Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar reported violations in the policy to Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena, who recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The report submitted alleged "financial losses to the exchequer" amounting to more than Rs 580 crore.
The allegations in the Delhi excise policy scam arose out of a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena pointing to alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the policy. The report was referred to CBI and the agency named Manish Sisodia and 14 other accused in the FIR.
The CBI then arrested Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in February 2023. In March 2023, the ED told Delhi court that the alleged proceeds of crime amounted to more than Rs 292 crore, and that it was necessary to establish the modus operandi.
The ED alleged that the “scam” was to give the wholesale liquor business to private entities and fix a 12% margin, for a 6% kickback.
The CBI arrested then arrested Vijay Nair, AAP communications in-charge in March 2023. In November, he was arrested by the ED.
Nair is accused of being a middleman between the ‘South Group’ and laundering money received as kickbacks during AAP’s Goa Assembly poll campaign. The group “secured uninhibited access, undue favours, attained stakes in established wholesale businesses and multiple retail zones (over and above what was allowed in the policy)”.
The CBI had then questioned Kejriwal for nine hours at their headuqarters in Delhi in April 2023 in connection with the case where he was belived to had answered 56 questions.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal got into the radar of ED in October 2023 where the ED sent first summons to him for questioning. At the same time, the ED also arrested Sanjay Singh, AAP MP alleging that Rs 2 crore illegal cash changed hands at Singh’s official North Avenue residence. Singh was in five-day custody of ED.
This month, K Kavitha, BRS leader and Telangana Legislative Council member was arrested by the ED rom her residence at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. She was arrested allegedly for being part of the ‘South Group’. The ED had previously summoned and questioned her in Hyderabad.
The ED had served nine summons to Kejriwal that he kept calling "illegal' and a conspiracy by the BJP; denied the questioning in the case. The ED fianlly questioned Kejriwal at his residence after the HC refused to grant him relief.
