Setback for Arvind Kejriwal as ED gets Centre's approval to prosecute him in Liquor Policy case
The Union Home Ministry has authorized the Enforcement Directorate to prosecute AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam. The case involves allegations that Kejriwal and other AAP officials created loopholes in the 2021-22 excise policy to receive kickbacks from liquor lobbies.
FollowThe Union Home Ministry has granted approval to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to initiate legal proceedings against Arvind Kejriwal, the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and former minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy controversy. This approval follows the decision by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who had previously consented to the prosecution of the former Delhi Chief Minister.
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In a ruling last November, the Supreme Court stated that the ED must obtain prior approval before prosecuting public officials.
In the following month, the ED sent a letter to VK Saxena, urging that sanction be granted for prosecuting Kejriwal, as they considered him the "kingpin and key conspirator" in the liquor policy scam.
The case against Arvind Kejriwal revolves around allegations of misconduct in the creation of the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22, which has since been revoked. It is claimed that Kejriwal, along with other AAP leaders, deliberately designed loopholes in the policy to secure kickbacks from liquor lobbyists.
Arvind Kejriwal was initially arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, 2024, in relation to a money laundering investigation. Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him on June 26, 2024, over charges of corruption.
In September 2024, the Supreme Court granted bail to Kejriwal. Shortly after being released, he stepped down as Delhi's Chief Minister, allowing senior AAP leader Atishi to take on the role. Sisodia was released from jail in August 2024, 17 months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the liquor policy case.
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