The Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled May 20 to consider the ED’s supplementary chargesheet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Excise Policy money laundering case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja set the date for arguments and ED’s submissions on cognizance.
On Friday, ED officials, along with Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta, filed the chargesheet in the Rouse Avenue Court. Last week, the ED informed the Delhi High Court during Manish Sisodia’s bail hearing that AAP would be named as an accused in the supplementary chargesheet. The ED also told the Supreme Court that there is direct evidence of Kejriwal demanding Rs 100 crore in kickbacks for AAP’s Goa election expenses.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued that Kejriwal played a key role in formulating the excise policy and is directly liable. He added that evidence shows Kejriwal’s stay in a seven-star hotel in Goa was partially funded by an accused.
The bench questioned the ED about ignoring exculpatory materials during the arrest process, as Kejriwal’s counsel claimed that several witness statements exonerating him were disregarded.
On May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1 in the money laundering case, with orders not to visit the Chief Minister’s Office or the Delhi Secretariat. The court has asked him to surrender on June 2.
Kejriwal had appealed against a Delhi High Court judgment dismissing his plea against the ED’s arrest and subsequent remand in the excise policy case, arguing that his arrest was politically motivated. The High Court noted Kejriwal’s non-cooperation with nine ED summons over six months, suggesting his arrest was inevitable. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
