The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a chargesheet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with its corruption probe into the now scrapped 2021-22 Delhi excise policy, calling him one of the conspirators of the criminal conspiracy.
In a related development, the Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on the bail plea by Kejriwal in the corruption case.
The verdict was reserved by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna after hearing the counsel appearing for the AAP leader as well as the CBI.
In the trial court, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Kejriwal alleging the AAP received kickbacks worth `100 crore.
The CBI, which first questioned Kejriwal in April 2023, has so far filed five chargesheets in the case against 18 accused including Kejriwal’s former deputy, Manish Sisodia, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha. The CBI said the one filed today, will be its final charge sheet in the case.
The development came days after Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody in the case till August 8.The court also extended the judicial custody of AAP leader Manish Sisodia and BRS leader K Kavitha in connection with a money laundering case linked to the liquor policy case.
The CBI has named Kejriwal, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, non-executive director of Aurobindo Pharma P. Sarath Chandra Reddy, director of Buddy Retail Pvt Ltd Amit Arora, alleged hawala operator Vinod Chauhan, and businessman Ashish Mathur as accused.
According to the agency, it has been revealed that Vijay Nair [former media in charge of AAP), a close associate of Kejriwal, was contacting various liquor manufacturers and traders and demanding undue gratification since March 2021, for incorporation of provisions favourable to them in the upcoming Delhi excise policy 2021-22.”
The CBI also alleged that kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore were paid in advance to some politicians of the ruling AAP in Delhi and other public servants by some persons in the liquor business from South India through co-accused Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpally and Dinesh Arora to tweak the Excise Policy for 2021-22.
The probe agency has alleged that liquor businessman Magunta Sreenivasalu Reddy (now a TDP MP) met Kejriwal on March 16, 2021, at his office in the Delhi Secretariat. Reddy allegedly requested Kejriwal to provide support in his liquor business in the national capital by tweaking the Excise Policy 2021-22 which was then in the making, the CBI said in its charge sheet against K Kavitha.
Kejriwal assured support to Reddy and asked him to contact the accused K Kavitha as she was working with his team on the Excise Policy of Delhi, the CBI has alleged. The Delhi chief minister, in turn, allegedly told Reddy to provide funds to his Aam Aadmi Party, the probe agency has alleged.
The agency had alleged that these kickbacks are found to have been returned to them subsequently out of the profit margins of wholesalers holding L-1 licenses through different modes, like issuance of excess credit notes, bank transfers, and outstanding amounts left in accounts of the companies controlled, by some conspirators from the South lobby.
The CBI had alleged that a cartel was formed between three stakeholders of the said policy -- liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers -- by violating provisions and against the spirit of the policy.
