The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to make history in India’s legal landscape as it becomes the first political party to be named an accused in a case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has informed the Delhi High Court that AAP will be included as an accused in the alleged liquor policy scam, which has already led to the imprisonment of three key leaders, including party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The ED revealed this development during a hearing for the bail plea of AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. A supplementary chargesheet is expected to be filed in the case, specifically naming the party. The ED’s investigation focuses on the money laundering aspect of the alleged scam.
This significant move comes shortly after the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal, allowing him to participate in the Lok Sabha elections. The apex court had earlier raised questions about why the AAP had not been named as an accused if it had benefited from the alleged kickbacks in the liquor policy case.
The classification of the AAP as an accused is based on treating the party akin to a company under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with Arvind Kejriwal being likened to a CEO. This broader interpretation under the PMLA allows the ED to include the entire party in its investigation.
The BJP has swiftly reacted to this development, alleging that the kickbacks were used by the AAP in its campaign for the 2022 Goa elections. Tuhin Sinha, a spokesperson for the BJP, criticized the AAP as “the biggest scam in the history of Indian politics” and pointed out that many of its key leaders are already accused in the case.
The excise policy at the center of the controversy was introduced in November 2021, involving a shift to private licensees running liquor stores instead of the Delhi government. However, allegations of gross violations and undue benefits to licensees led to the policy’s cancellation in September 2022.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has claimed that liquor companies influenced the excise policy to gain a 12% profit margin. It is alleged that a liquor lobby, referred to as the “South Group,” funneled kickbacks amounting to ₹100 crore to the AAP, with some of these funds reaching public servants. The ED’s investigation focuses on the money laundering trail of these kickbacks.
Sources By Agencies