May 20, 2024: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court to extend the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The request is part of the ongoing money laundering investigation related to the now-abandoned Delhi liquor excise policy.
Kejriwal, who was apprehended by the ED on March 21, 2024, is currently on interim bail, which was granted by the Supreme Court on May 10. As per the Supreme Court's order, Kejriwal is prohibited from visiting the Office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat. He is scheduled to surrender on June 2, the same date on which the court is expected to address the ED's application for custody extension.The ED's latest chargesheet, filed on Friday, names both Kejriwal and his political party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as accused in the excise policy probe.
According to the chargesheet, Kejriwal is alleged to be the primary conspirator who used his official capacity to facilitate money laundering offenses, a violation under section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). An ED official stated that "irrefutable evidence" has been gathered, indicating Kejriwal's pivotal role in the corruption and money laundering activities associated with the excise policy for 2021-22. The policy, which was eventually scrapped, has been the center of controversy and legal scrutiny.
The ED has argued that AAP qualifies as a "company" under section 70 of the PMLA, given its status as a political party defined by the Representation of the People Act. This interpretation has allowed the agency to include the party in its investigations and charges.In a related development, the court has extended the judicial custody of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha until June 3 in a parallel case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Delhi excise policy case continues to unfold, drawing significant political and public attention. The ED's move to extend Kejriwal's custody underscores the agency's determination to pursue the high-profile investigation to its conclusion.