New Delhi: Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday granted relief to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by acquitting him in two cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) concerning alleged violations of the Excise Policy. The order was passed by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal. The ED had filed the petition against Kejriwal in February 2024.
Why Did the ED File the Case?
The ED had approached the court alleging that Kejriwal failed to comply with summons issued under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Despite five summons being issued on different dates in connection with the alleged excise policy irregularities, Kejriwal did not appear before the central agency.
According to reports, Kejriwal did not respond to ED summons issued on 2nd November 2023, 21st December 2023, and 3rd and 18th January 2024, claiming the notices were “illegal.” The ED’s investigation into the alleged money laundering is linked to a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 17th August 2022, related to alleged irregularities in Delhi’s 2021-22 Excise Policy.
CBI Case Filed on LG’s Complaint
The CBI had registered the case on 20th July 2022 following a complaint by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena. Subsequently, on 22nd August 2022, the ED initiated a separate case against the accused individuals under money laundering charges. Kejriwal, who was the Delhi Chief Minister at the time, was later arrested in the main case but was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
The ED had alleged that the excise policy was implemented to grant 12% wholesale business profits to certain private companies, which, according to the agency, was a deliberate conspiracy. However, the Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting minutes did not mention any such condition.
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