Arvind Kejriwal To Stay In Jail Till May 7 As Court Extends Judicial Custody In Delhi Liquor Policy Case

A Delhi Court on Tuesday extended judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till May 7 in the Delhi Liquor Policy case.

Kejriwal will be produced before the court through Video Conferencing in next hearing ( Image Source :PTI Images )

A Delhi Court on Tuesday extended judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till May 7 in the Delhi Liquor Policy case. Kejriwal was arrested by Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering through the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy. The court also extended judicial custody of BRS leader K Kavitha till May 7.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Court directed that Kejriwal shall be produced before the court through Video Conferencing on May 7 at 2 PM.

The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested on March 21 by the ED on allegations that he was the key conspirator in drafting the policy and alleged money laundering.

 

 

On March 22, Kejriwal was remended to ED custody till March 28 which was extended till April 1. On April 1 one the AAP chief was sent into judicial custody till April 15, which was later extended till April 23. Today, the court extended his custody till May 7.

 

The Delhi High Court earlier this month upheld Kejriwal's arrest as legal. Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court.

Delhi Liquor Policy Case:

The ED has alleged that the now scrapped new excise policy was implemented by the AAP leaders as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12% to certain private companies in alchohol business.

In July 2022, the Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena about the alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the now scrapped Delhi Excise policy. Kumar in his report to the Delhi LG said that arbitrary and unilateral decisions taken by Manish Sisodia as the Excise Minister in Delhi had caused financial losses of more that Rs 580 crore to the exchequer.

The report also alleged that AAP government and leaders in Delhi got kickbacks from owners and operators of alchohol business in exchange for discounts, extention is licence fee, waiver on penalties and relief due to Covid-19 pandemic,etc. Kumar further alleged that that these kickbakcs were used to influence the Assembly election in Punjab and Goa.

The LG gave this report to the CBI and ordered enquiry. Following which Sisodia was arrested after the CBI named Manish Sisodia and 14 others accused in its FIR.

According to the ED, in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, wholesale liquor business was given to private entities. Under this new excise policy a 12% margin was fixed, for a 6% kickback. The ED alleged that the policy was formulated with deliberate loopholes which promoted cartel formations through the back door to benefit AAP leaders.

According to ED, AAP leaders got kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore from the “South Group” linked to K Kavitha.

The ED has arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal under Section 19 of PMLA. The ED has submitted in the court that Kejriwal has been intrinsically involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi Liquor Policy scam wherein certain private persons were favoured and benefitted in a quid pro quo of receiving kickbacks. 

The remand note by ED says "due to actions of Sh Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of AAP for the Goa Assembly elections, it is clear that all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.