Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has granted approval to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy scam, according to officials from the Delhi Secretariat.
The ED had formally requested permission to proceed with the prosecution on December 5, addressing the Delhi Chief Secretary Dharmendra, who serves as the Chief Vigilance Officer. The agency’s request follows the filing of a Prosecution Complaint (SPC-7) against Kejriwal on May 17, 2024, concerning irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy for the year 2021-22.
The ED’s sanction request, which was approved by the Lieutenant Governor, cited a Special Court’s recognition of the Prosecution Complaint on July 9, 2024, and a Supreme Court ruling that clarified provisions regarding the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In light of these legal proceedings, the ED sought the necessary sanction to prosecute Kejriwal under Section 4 of the PMLA for money laundering charges.
In response to the development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticized the move, calling it part of an ongoing attempt to “politically malign” the AAP government. The party accused the ED of showing “callousness” in handling the case, highlighting that the request for prosecution came almost a year after the filing of the complaint.
AAP further labeled the investigation into the alleged liquor scam as a case of “harassment,” claiming that despite extensive probes—including over 250 raids, 50,000 pages of documents, and the involvement of 500 people—no substantial evidence has emerged. The party also pointed to several court orders that have raised doubts about the validity of the case.”
This so-called liquor scam investigation has dragged on for two years with no evidence of wrongdoing,” an AAP spokesperson said. “The real goal of the BJP is to crush AAP and Arvind Kejriwal by any means necessary.”
This move comes amid ongoing political tensions between the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with AAP accusing the ED and other agencies of using their powers to target and undermine the Delhi government.
