Liquor policy case: ED to file first chargesheet against 'kingpin' Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will file the first chargesheet against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow, India Today reported on Thursday. The agency calls him 'kingpin' of the Delhi liquor policy case. 

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. Earlier during a hearing seeking his custody, the ED said Kejriwal was a "key conspirator" in the liquor scam case.

The probe agency said that the Delhi Chief Minister received several crores of rupees as kickbacks from the 'South group' for formulating and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. He demanded Rs 100 crore from some accused from the 'South group' for contesting elections, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju had told the Rouse Avenue Court.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will deliver its order on granting interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering probe linked to the alleged excise policy scam on May 10. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who headed the bench which heard Kejriwal’s petition against his arrest in the case, said, "We will pronounce the interim order (on interim bail) on Friday. The main matter related to the challenge to arrest will also be taken on the same day." 

On May 7, the bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, had reserved its verdict on interim bail to Kejriwal. The two-judge bench had risen without pronouncing an order on granting Kejriwal interim bail to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. The bench had reserved its decision after hearing the arguments put forth by Kejriwal's advocate Abhishek Singhvi and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who appeared for ED. 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also appeared for the ED, had staunchly opposed showing any leniency to Kejriwal on account of the Lok Sabha polls and said granting interim bail to the AAP national convenor would amount to creating a separate class for politicians. The bench has divided the hearing on Kejriwal's petition against his arrest into two parts. His main petition challenges his arrest by the ED and seeks it to be declared illegal, while the second aspect pertains to the grant of interim bail keeping in mind the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. 

The court reserved the order on the issue of grant of interim bail. On Tuesday, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court extended Kejriwal's judicial custody till May 20. The Delhi High Court had on April 9 upheld Kejriwal's arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation. 

(With inputs from PTI)