Setback for AAP as ED names party, Arvind Kejriwal accused in excise policy case

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, May 17

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed its eighth chargesheet under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party over alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case. This is the first instance of its kind where a political party has been named as an accused entity in a chargesheet.

SC lets Delhi CM move trial court for bail

The SC on Friday reserved its verdict on Kejriwal’s plea challenging arrest by the ED in a laundering case linked to excise ‘scam’ but allowed him to move trial court for regular bail. “Arguments heard. Judgment reserved. Notwithstanding the same… appellant can move trial court for grant of bail in accordance with law,” it said.

AAP in its reaction to the development accused the ED of acting as the BJP’s “political wing”. According to sources, AAP has been named as an accused, since it was allegedly a major beneficiary of crime proceeds generated through the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

The chargesheet has been filed based on clinching evidence which reportedly shows Kejriwal was the “key conspirator”, who allegedly used the influence of his position to facilitate money laundering by the company — AAP. This the eighth chargesheet filed by the ED in the excise case since November 2022. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 from his official residence.

The party in a statement said: “The ED is functioning like a political wing of the BJP. Its intention from the very beginning of this fake investigation was to frame AAP, arrest all its top leaders and crush the party.”