17 May 2024 12:01 PM GMT
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a supplementary chargesheet before a Delhi Court against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party in the liquor policy case.
The central probe agency has made both AAP and Kejriwal as an accused in the seventh supplementary chargesheet in the money laundering case.
Earlier today, the ED told Supreme Court that AAP will be made an accused in the case. A similar submission was made by the central probe agency earlier this week while opposing AAP leader Manish Sisodia's second bail plea.
Kejriwal, who is presently out on interim bail, was arrested by ED on the night of March 21. His judicial custody is expiring on April 23.
On April 10, the Delhi High Court dismissed Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest, observing that ED was able to place enough material, statements of approvers and AAP's own candidate stating that Kejriwal was given money for Goa elections.
AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are also accused in the case. While Sisodia continues to remain in jail, Singh was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court pursuant to a concession given by the ED.
ED has alleged that Arvind Kejriwal is the "kingpin" of Delhi excise scam and is directly involved in the use of proceeds of crime accounting to over Rs. 100 crores.
It is ED's case that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12 percent to certain private companies, although such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings of Group of Ministers (GoM).
The Central agency has also claimed that there was a conspiracy that was coordinated by Vijay Nair and other individuals along with South Group to give extraordinary profit margins to wholesalers.
Nair was acting on behalf of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, according to the agency.