"No file can move without his knowledge...": Meenakashi Lekhi on CBI summons to Kejriwal

New Delhi [India], April 14 : Union Minister of State and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Meenakashi Lekhi on Friday said that if CBI has summoned the AAP convenor then it means there are some corruption charges against him, adding that no file can move without Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's knowledge and his active participation.

Her remarks came hours after the CBI summoned the AAP national convenor on April 16 in connection with the excise policy case.

Speaking to , the MoS for the Ministry of External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi said, "CBI's jurisdiction is with respect to the corruption. It is an inter-state body and can investigate wherever. Basically, it is an anti-corruption orgsation. So, if CBI has summoned him, it means there are some corruption charges. As part of the investigation, they would have come up with some material against him, and are going to confront him."

Attacking the AAP national convenor, she said that no policy could have been implemented in Delhi without Kejriwal's approval.

"We have to understand 2-3 things. First, he (Kejriwal) is the Chief Minister, so no file or document can move in the state without his knowledge and active participation. Secondly, there are statements by co-accused like Nair (Vijay Nair) and other people, which directly implicate Mr Kejriwal," she said.

The MoS further added, "Thirdly, Mr Nayar, who is found involved in corrupt practices and dealing with the south lobby. He was staying in the residence and official accommodation which was allocated in the name of Kailash Gehlot. Kailash Gehlot was staying at his private home, and the official accommodation was given to Nair to operate these functions".

She further said that there is a "tacit, open and underhand cooperation" in the case, because of which the Delhi CM is being summoned.

"There is obviously a tacit, open and underhand cooperation, which one gets to see. The CBI is going to confront Mr Kejriwal with all the documents, papers, and materials which they would have gathered during the investigation," the BJP MP added.

AAP's remarks came after the CBI summoned Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on April 16 to question him in the excise policy case.

This development comes as former Delhi deputy CM Msh Sisodia continues to be in judicial custody in the same case.

Sisodia was arrested by ED and CBI in the ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD.

The CBI arrested Sisodia in the liquor policy case on February 26, 2023. Later on March 9, the ED arrested him, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail. His judicial custody was extended till April 17 by a Delhi court.

In October, the ED had raided nearly three dozen locations in Delhi and Punjab following the arrest of Sameer Mahendru, Managing Director of Delhi's Jor Bagh-based liquor distributor Indospirit Group, in the case and arrested him later. The CBI too filed its first charge sheet in the case early this week.

The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

As per the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the Earnest Money Deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19.

This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.

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