The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has implicated Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, in a money laundering case tied to the now-defunct Delhi liquor excise policy of 2021-22. This marks the first time Kejriwal has been named as an accused in a supplementary chargesheet filed by the ED on Friday. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also been identified as an accused in the case.The ED has informed the Supreme Court about the discovery of alleged conversations between Kejriwal and hawala operators concerning the supposed illicit proceeds from the excise policy case. The agency alleges that these conversations were retrieved from the devices of the hawala operators after Kejriwal declined to provide the password to his devices.
The ED has also alleged the involvement of a “south group’, an alleged coalition of liquor businessmen and politicians, which paid bribes to have the policy formulated in their favour. According to the probe agency, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader, K Kavitha, is also an accused in the matter, allegedly linked with this “south group”. The probe was launched into the case two months after Delhi LG VK Saxena assumed office in May 2022. After the allegations of wrongdoings, the policy was rolled back in July 2022.