ED secures Lt Governor's sanction to prosecute Arvind Kejriwal in liquor policy case
The ED, in its request for prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), cited the Supreme Court's November 6 ruling that mandates prior government approval for prosecuting public servants.
NATIONAL
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received sanction from Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena to prosecute former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. The move comes just weeks before the Delhi Assembly elections, where the AAP is vying for a fourth term amid a robust challenge from the BJP.
The ED, in its request for prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), cited the Supreme Court's November 6 ruling that mandates prior government approval for prosecuting public servants. The agency alleges widespread corruption in the framing and implementation of the excise policy.
Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED and CBI earlier this year, has been granted bail by the Supreme Court in both money laundering and corruption cases linked to the alleged scam. He had also approached the Delhi High Court to quash a trial court order that took cognisance of the ED's chargesheet, arguing that the prosecution lacked the necessary sanction.
The trial court, on July 9, deemed the evidence sufficient to proceed and acknowledged the ED's 200-page chargesheet naming Kejriwal and the AAP as accused.
AAP leaders have dismissed the development as politically motivated. Former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia questioned the authenticity of the Lt Governor's sanction. “If permission was granted, why is the ED not producing the copy? This is a clear attempt to distract from the issue of BR Ambedkar's alleged insult,” Sisodia stated.
AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar echoed similar sentiments, claiming the news was fabricated. "If a sanction exists, the ED should present it. Without proof, these claims are baseless," she remarked.
The controversy is unfolding against the backdrop of the upcoming elections, intensifying the political discourse in the capital. The BJP has accused the AAP of shielding corruption, while the latter claims it is being targeted to derail its electoral prospects.