New Delhi : Union Home Ministry has granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal in the case concerning alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. This significant development comes months after the Supreme Court ruled that the ED, like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), must obtain prior sanction under Section 197(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (now Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) before prosecuting individuals in money laundering cases.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on November 6 underscored the importance of procedural safeguards in cases involving public officials, aligning the ED’s processes with those of the CBI. In the case of the Delhi excise policy, the absence of this sanction had delayed the framing of charges against Kejriwal in a Delhi court. The Home Ministry’s approval is now expected to expedite the legal process, allowing the court to proceed with the case.
The Delhi excise policy for 2021-22 was introduced to reform the capital’s liquor trade, aiming to increase transparency and revenue. However, allegations of corruption soon surfaced, with claims that the policy favored private vendors and involved kickbacks amounting to crores of rupees. Investigative agencies, including the ED and CBI, have alleged that senior officials and political leaders received illicit financial benefits during the policy’s implementation. These allegations form the basis of the ED’s money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Home Ministry’s decision marks a pivotal moment in the case, intensifying scrutiny of Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). While the ED now has the green light to move forward with prosecution, Kejriwal and his party have consistently denied the allegations, describing the investigations as politically motivated. Kejriwal has maintained his innocence, framing the case as an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government to undermine his administration and the AAP’s growing influence in national politics.
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