ED is likely to file the chargesheet following the Supreme Court’s hearing on interim bail for Kejriwal today. Should the hearing extend through the day, the chargesheet is anticipated to be submitted the next day.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to name the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an accused in a new chargesheet related to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, India Today reported quoting sources. This marks a significant development as it is the first instance where a national party is being implicated as an accused in a corruption case. The central probe agency is also expected to name Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as an accused for the first time in this chargesheet, alleging his involvement as the ‘kingpin’ and key conspirator in the liquor policy case.
The ED has asserted that it has uncovered a money trail linked to Kejriwal. Earlier, the agency informed a Delhi court that Rs 45 crore of kickbacks received by AAP was utilized by the party during its campaign for the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.
Timeline of Events
According to the report in India Today, the ED is likely to file the chargesheet following the Supreme Court’s hearing on interim bail for Kejriwal today. Should the hearing extend through the day, the chargesheet is anticipated to be submitted the next day. It is mandatory for the agency to file a chargesheet against an accused within two months of their arrest. Kejriwal, who was taken into judicial custody on March 21 in connection with the liquor policy case, is approaching the completion of two months in detention on May 21.
ED’s Ongoing Investigation
If the chargesheet is filed, it will mark the seventh such submission by the ED in the liquor policy case. To date, the agency has apprehended 18 individuals, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. Notably, Singh was granted bail last month.
Legal Battles and Political Response
In a recent development, the ED filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court challenging Kejriwal’s interim bail plea. The agency said that the right to campaign in elections was not a fundamental or constitutional right. In response, AAP lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court’s registry, criticizing the ED’s affidavit as a blatant disregard of legal protocols. The ruling party in Delhi accused the agency of submitting the affidavit without the top court’s approval, just a day before the final decision on Kejriwal’s interim bail.
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