Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal was charged with corruption in the now cancelled excise policy, according to officials from The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, July 29, 2024.
They said that this charge sheet has been filed by the central agency before a special CBI court at Rouse Avenue earlier today.
On March 21, Mr. Kejriwal, who is also the AAP national convener, had been arrested by the ED under money laundering charges for his alleged involvement in an excise policy scam. He obtained interim bail from the Supreme Court but remains in jail as he had been earlier arrested by the CBI on corruption allegations arising out of same scam.
The CBI picked up Mr. Kejriwal from Tihar jail on June 26 which he was put into after judicial custody related to a connected money-laundering case lodged by ED.
The Delhi Excise Policy was unveiled in November of 2021 aimed at transforming liquor retail landscape of Delhi. It sought to increase revenues for the area and curb counterfeit alcohol sales as well as enhance consumer experience. However, following claims about procedural anomalies, it was withdrawn on August 1st , 2022. Subsequently both federal law enforcement agencies—the CBI and ED—started examining commission of an alleged scam. While ED is investigating the alleged money trail, the CBI’s mandate has been limited to investigating cases of corruption and bribery against public servants.
In July last year V.K Saxena recommended a probe by CBI into certain irregularities associated with formation of excise policy marks inception of agency’s role resulting in registration of a case under PC Act. Though interrogated by CBI in April, Mr.Kejriwal has not yet been named accused in it. The agency has so far booked four chargesheets against seventeen accused including Manish Sisodia, former deputy CM of Delhi and K. Kavitha., a legislator of Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
On July 25, a Delhi court extended till July 31 the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in money laundering and corruption cases for his alleged involvement in an excise policy “scam”, while keeping his judicial custody in a CBI corruption case till August 8.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended Mr. Kejriwal’s remand under PMLA being probed by ED till July 31; his remand in CBI case (corruption) was extended till August 8.
