Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders demanded extra funds beyond ₹100 crore in kickbacks: ED exposes, sparking outrage.

Arvind Kejriwal’s party is in trouble again:

Source: Hindustan Times

On Tuesday, a Delhi court acknowledged the charge sheet against the incarcerated CM Arvind Kejriwal (accused number 37) and the AAP (accused number 38), filed on May 17th.

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his then deputy Manish Sisodia, and former AAP media in-charge Vijay Nair allegedly sought “additional” funds “beyond” ₹100 crore for election funding in Goa and Punjab. This claim is based on the statement of businessman P Sarath Reddy, who has turned approver in the case.

The federal agency also claimed that Vinod Chauhan, described as a “close associate” of Kejriwal, not only facilitated the transfer of ₹25.5 crore bribe money for AAP from Delhi to Goa but also influenced officer postings at the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) under the CM’s direction.

Reddy, the promoter of Aurobindo Group, played a significant role in the alleged South Group, which reportedly provided ₹100 crore to AAP in exchange for favourable excise policies during 2021-22. Other notable members included Lok Sabha member Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, his son Raghav Magunta, and BRS leader K Kavitha (currently in Tihar jail).

Sarath Reddy, arrested by the ED in November 2022, was subsequently granted pardon under section 306 of the former Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) by a special court in Delhi. This was in exchange for his agreement to become an approver in the case. 

According to his statement cited in the ED charge sheet, in November 2021, there were issues such as the relaxation of licence fee payments and the non-opening of shops in non-conforming areas. The charge sheet alleges that whenever Abhishek Boinpally and Arun Pillai from the South Group attempted to discuss these issues with Vijay Nair, he did not respond adequately. 

Source: IndToday News

At a later stage, waivers for Covid-19 were granted to retail zones, but Sarath Reddy’s zones did not receive the expected amount of waivers.

Regarding these matters, Sarath Reddy reportedly discussed with K Kavitha, Boinpally, and Pillai. According to the charge sheet, he was informed that apart from the alleged ₹100 crore, Nair, Sisodia, and Kejriwal had demanded additional funds for their election campaigns in Goa and Punjab, but this request was declined by them.

The ED charge sheet indicates that AAP became displeased, resulting in Nair’s reduced attention to their concerns. Kejriwal stated to the ED on March 21, the day of his arrest, that he was unaware of Sarath Reddy. 

Regarding Kejriwal’s connection with Vinod Chauhan, accused of involvement in hawala transfers, the ED alleges Chauhan facilitated the transfer of ₹25.5 crore from Delhi to Goa, received from Abhishek Boinpally of the South Group, involved in cash transfers as part of a quid pro quo arrangement. 

The ED asserts that Chauhan is not merely a peripheral figure but a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal, supported by their communications included in the charge sheet.

In one chat, Chauhan allegedly requested a meeting with a sitting judge, to which CM Kejriwal responded with “sure,” according to the ED. 

ED claims this acknowledgment proves Kejriwal’s close association with Vinod Chauhan. The agency asserts Chauhan’s influence is evident from his role in managing officer postings at the Delhi Jal Board through Kejriwal, supported by a chat and an official government note included in the charge sheet. 

Source: OpIndia

The ED has also attached Kejriwal’s statements recorded on 11 occasions post-arrest. In one statement, Kejriwal mentioned that Vijay Nair reported to Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bhardwaj and was not authorised to engage with liquor businessmen. 

In response to questions, Kejriwal denied giving Nair any responsibility regarding the formulation or implementation of the excise policy, either from himself or any other AAP leader. 

He also stated in his statements that he never discussed the excise policy with his officers or ministers outside of Cabinet discussions. Additionally, he claimed not to recall any specific discussions about increasing the profit margin for wholesalers from 5% to 12%.

The financial crimes probe agency has made 18 arrests, including four politicians—Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha, and Sanjay Singh. They have filed eight charge sheets against 36 individuals and entities and submitted thousands of documents as evidence in the excise probe to the court.

Source: The Indian Express

The Delhi government’s 2021-22 excise policy aimed to rejuvenate the city’s liquor industry by shifting from a sales-volume based system to a licence fee structure for traders. It promised modernised stores without metal grilles, enhancing the shopping experience for customers, and introduced discounts and offers, a first for Delhi.

However, the policy was abruptly terminated when Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended an investigation into alleged irregularities.

This led to the premature cancellation of the policy, replaced by the 2020-21 regime. AAP claimed Saxena’s predecessor had undermined the policy with last-minute changes, resulting in lower-than-expected revenues.

Link to the video statement posted by Sunita Kejriwal (wife of Arvind Kejriwal) on X:

https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/1809520037973156186?t=Ow22kbnRUOP_c5CzCYXOMg&s=08