The Union Home Ministry has granted sanction to the Enforcement Directorate to prosecute former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. The sanction comes as a blow to AAP and Kejriwal as the framing of charges against him was pending before the Delhi court due to the hurdle.
The Supreme Court too had ruled that the investigation agency would require prior sanction from the Centre to prosecute public servants.
The development comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly on February 5.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Centre authorises ED to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in alleged liquor scam case, AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar says, "This will be the first such case in the history of the country where you jailed Arvind Kejriwal and Manish… pic.twitter.com/vlTvEERB7d
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2025
AAP reacted top the development, calling it a bid to defame the leader. "This will be the first such case in the history of the country where you jailed Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. Both were granted bail from the trial court and even from the Supreme Court. After two years, you gave sanction to prosecute and this is when the elections are near. Their same old routine is to file false cases, defame the leaders of Aam Aadmi Party," AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar told reporters.
The chargesheet was filed against Kejriwal and AAP leader Manish Sisodia under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2024. Kejriwal was arrested in March.
The ED termed him "kingpin and key conspirator" of the Delhi excise "scam" by the ED. It also claimed that since AAP was a political party, it can be categorised as a "company" as contemplated under Section 70 of the PMLA.
As Kejriwal was "in-charge of and responsible" for the said company i.e. AAP during the time of the offence, he and his party "shall be deemed guilty" of offences mentioned under the anti-money laundering law and liable to be prosecuted and punished, it had said.
The excise case pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.
