Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to make his appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today in connection with the money laundering case associated with the alleged excise policy scam. This development comes after a six-month interval since he was previously interrogated for nearly nine hours by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to the excise policy scam. During that time, Kejriwal had characterized the entire case as “fabricated” and a deliberate effort to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The ruling AAP has maintained a tight-lipped stance regarding whether the chief minister will indeed present himself before the Enforcement Directorate. Notably, this case has further repercussions, as former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had been arrested by the CBI in the same matter earlier this year. Subsequently, the ED arrested Sisodia in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI’s First Information Report (FIR) after questioning him in Tihar jail. His plea for bail was denied by the Supreme Court recently.
The investigations by both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate revolve around the Delhi government’s now-discarded excise policy for the year 2021-22, which allegedly favored specific liquor dealers. The AAP vehemently denies these allegations. The origin of the probe dates back to a report from the chief secretary of the Delhi government, which prompted Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to recommend a CBI inquiry in July of the previous year due to suspected irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy.
The report highlighted several alleged irregularities, such as a substantial waiver of Rs 144 crore to retail licensees under the policy, ostensibly to compensate for COVID-19-affected sales, and a refund of Rs 30 crore to a successful bidder for an airport zone who failed to secure a no objection certificate for opening liquor stores. Furthermore, there were allegations of a “quid pro quo” situation where the commission of wholesale licensees had been increased from five percent to twelve percent. The unfolding case continues to attract attention and scrutiny.
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