ED Tells Delhi High Court That AAP To Be Made Co-Accused In Excise Policy Scam

The Enforcement Directorate has informed the Delhi High Court that the Aam Aadmi Party will be made co-accused in the alleged liquor policy scam. The case has seen three of its key leaders – including party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal land behind bars. This will be the first time a political party will be made an accused in a case.

The probe agency told the court, which was hearing the bail plea of AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, that a supplementary chargesheet will be filed in the case and the party will be named in it.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing the money laundering angle of the alleged scam and the move comes just days after the Supreme Court granted Arvind  Kejriwal interim bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections.

In October last year, the question of making the AAP an accused was raised by the Supreme Court, which had asked why the political party was not being named if it had – as per the ED’s claims – benefited from the alleged kickbacks in the liquor police case.

Under the excise policy, introduced in November 2021, the Delhi government withdrew from retail sale of liquor and allowed private licensees to run stores. In July 2022, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar flagged gross violations in the policy and alleged “undue benefits” to liquor licensees.

The policy was scrapped in September that year.