Excise policy case: New warrant against Kejriwal, AAP per ED's new chargesheet

A Delhi court, on Tuesday, 9 July, took cognisance of the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the excise policy case.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court issued a production warrant for Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party for 12 July. He is currently in judicial custody in both the CBI and ED cases.

The ED had filed the eighth chargesheet in the case on 17 May, naming AAP and Kejriwal as accused.

Earlier, on 3 July, Kejriwal had filed a fresh bail petition in the Delhi High Court in a case filed by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

The CBI arrested the AAP leader in a corruption case on 26 June, while he was still in judicial custody in connection with the money-laundering case registered by the ED. 

A petition challenging his arrest and remand to the CBI is still pending in the high court. Another case is pending in the trial court — for bail in the ED case.

The ED had arrested Kejriwal on 21 March, in the alleged money-laundering case. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, but he had been told to surrender on 2 June. The trial court then granted him bail on 20 June. However, the Delhi High Court stayed the bail order on the ED’s request.

On 2 July, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the CBI over Kejriwal's arrest and subsequent remand in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. The court has granted the CBI seven days to file its reply. The next date of hearing is 17 July.

On 3 July, the trial court extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody to 12 July in the money-laundering case filed by the ED.

In 2021, the Delhi government enacted a new liquor policy, which has come under the scanner. It was scrapped in 2022, after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its formulation and execution. The investigative agencies have claimed that the new policy extended undue favours to licence holders.