Delhi excise policy case: Court summons Kejriwal after CBI’s supplementary chargesheet

Special judge Kaveri Baweja while issuing summons to the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other accused in the case also extended the judicial custody of the CM till September 11

Arvind Kejriwal leaves | Photo Credit: PTI

Taking cognisance of the fourth supplementary chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, a court here on Tuesday (Septembe 3, 2024) summoned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Durgesh Pathak and other accused on September 11.

The court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja also extended till September 11 the judicial custody of the CM. It said there exists sufficient evidence against Mr. Kejriwal and other accused to proceed against them.

The CBI in its earlier chargesheet filed on July 29 had also named as accused Aurobindo Pharma director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy, who has turned an approver in a money laundering case lodged in this regard by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The other accused include two businessmen Amit Arora and Ashish Mathur.

In its almost two-years-long investigation, the probe agency has filed cases against 16 people, including the Delhi CM, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha.

The case was registered on a complaint filed by Delhi Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena.

In the chargesheet, the CBI has called Mr. Kejriwal a “key conspirator”. It has alleged that around ₹100 crore was paid to AAP by some liquor manufacturers in exchange for favours and the proceeds of the crime were used to fund the party’s Goa Assembly poll campaign in 2022.

It also alleged that a cartel was formed by liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers by violating provisions of the excise policy, resulting in substantial losses to the exchequers.