Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Rouse Avenue Court, filing a regular bail plea in connection with the ongoing Excise money laundering case. The case, which has garnered significant media attention, involves allegations of irregularities and corruption in the allocation of liquor licenses under Delhi's Excise Policy. Kejriwal's legal team has argued that the charges against him are unfounded and politically motivated, aiming to tarnish his reputation and hinder his administration's functioning. Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the money laundering case registered by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already contended before the Delhi High Court that it will make the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) an accused in the money laundering case stemming out of the Delhi excise policy scam.
The ED's submission was made while opposing the bail plea of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the money laundering case. Delhi CM and top AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was arrested from his official residence by the ED hours after the Delhi HC turned down his petition requesting against coercive action by the ED in the excise policy case. The excise policy case is based on the 2021 liquor policy introduced by the AAP government aimed to reform the excise sector by privatising liquor stores and adjusting licensing criteria. The new excise policy was adopted in November 2021.
Within a few months, Delhi Chief Secretary reported gross violations in the policy brought in by the Delhi government. In July 2022, Delhi Lieutenant Governor recommended CBI probe into violation of liquor rules. CBI conducted a raid in August 2022 on Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, three others. Based on the findings, the Enforcement Directorate filed money laundering case on liquor policy on August 22, 2022.To date, the ED has conducted searches on 245 locations across the country, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and other places. Around 15 persons, including Sisodia, Nair and Sanjay Singh from the AAP, have been arrested. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023. He was later arrested by the ED in a PMLA case originating from the CBI’s FIR.