Tag: Delhi Excise Policy case

  • ‘Kejriwal Ko Aashirvaad’: Delhi CM’s Wife Seeks People’s Support, Shares WhatsApp Number |

    NEW DELHI: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal shared a video message on Friday, urging people to reach out to the Delhi Chief Minister and express their support to him. She also shared a phone number. “You can send your messages of support, anything you want to tell him on this number”, she said. She added, “Every one of your messages will reach him…I will deliver these to him in jail.”

    Appeal For Support Amid Legal Battles

    Sunita Kejriwal, while addressing the public, initiated the “Kejriwal ko Aashirvaad” campaign, encouraging individuals to send their blessings and well-wishes to the Chief Minister through a WhatsApp number. This appeal comes amidst Arvind Kejriwal’s extended custody following his arrest on March 21 in connection with the purported liquor policy scam. Despite the legal entanglements, Sunita Kejriwal remains resolute in rallying support from the citizens.

    Legal Proceedings And Extensions

    Arvind Kejriwal’s detention, which has now been extended until April 1, stems from allegations concerning money laundering linked to the Excise Policy. The recent court proceedings saw the Delhi Chief Minister himself presenting arguments, questioning the validity of his arrest based on limited evidence and statements. He emphasized the need for a fair and thorough investigation, dismissing the accusations against him as politically motivated.

    ED’s Allegations And Political Ramifications

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has levelled accusations against Kejriwal, implicating him in orchestrating the controversial excise policy and allegedly benefiting from illicit gains. However, Kejriwal and his legal team vehemently deny these claims, asserting that the charges are part of a broader agenda to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and destabilize the elected government in Delhi.

    Court’s Notice To ED

    In response to Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest and subsequent remand, the Delhi High Court has issued notices to the ED, signalling a potential legal battle ahead. The court, while recognizing the significance of fair hearings, has scheduled further proceedings for April 3, 2024. This development underscores the complexity and gravity of the legal challenges facing the Chief Minister.

    The court, while fixing the matter for April 3, 2024, further stated that any release order from custody will amount to enlarging the accused/petitioner/ Arvind Kejriwal on bail or interim bail, as an interim measure. The writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is not a ready substitute for recourse to the remedy of bail under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C. ordinarily.

    Arvind Kejriwal, through his plea, alleged that the DOE has, at the time of his arrest failed to establish that the petitioner is guilty of committing activities stipulated under Section 3, i.e., be it one of concealment, possession, acquisition, or use of proceeds of crime, as much as projecting it as untainted property or claiming it to be so.

    According to Kejriwal’s plea, both the arrest and the remand order are illegal and he is entitled to be released from custody. The plea stated that without there being any material in possession of the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of which the petitioner (Arvind Kejriwal), can be believed to be guilty of an offence, the petitioner is being illegally and arbitrarily arrested by ED in the evening of March 21.

    The trial court on March 22, sent Arvind Kejriwal to ED remand till March 28. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam. The agency claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy.

    It also claimed that due to the actions of Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of the AAP for the Goa Assembly elections, it is clear that all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.

    Excise Policy Case Background 

    Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency late Thursday night on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them “illegal”. The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped.

    While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair. Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case. 

  • Arvind Kejriwal Likely To Appear Before Delhi Court Today After Trust Vote Move |

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to appear before a court in connection with the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged Excise scam case. Delhi CM Kejriwal has already skipped five summons in the case following which the ED approached a city court against him. Kejriwal, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief, is expected to present himself before a Delhi court to clarify his stand to skip the ED summons. 

    This comes amid the Delhi Assembly’s move to adopt the motion of confidence moved by the Chief Minister in a show of strength amid allegations that the BJP is trying to poach AAP MLAs by offering them Rs 25 crores each.

    देखिए सुबह की 100 बड़ी खबरें LIVE
    BJP का 2 दिन का राष्ट्रीय अधिवेशन, 400 पार का प्लान बनेगा ?

    देखिए LIVE @supreetanchor के साथ#ZeeLive #PMModi #BJP #Politics #Congress #RahulGandhi #FarmerProtest2024 https://t.co/NYf6SpTuCr
    — Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 17, 2024

    Speaking after presenting the motion of confidence in the Delhi Assembly yesterday, CM Kejriwal stated that two AAP MLAs informed him of BJP members approaching them, claiming that the Delhi chief minister would soon be arrested and these MLAs were offered Rs 25 crore to join the BJP. Kejriwal said that he brought the trust vote in the assembly to prove none of the AAP MLAs had defected.

    मेरे पास 2 MLA आये और उन्होंने बताया:

    BJP ने उन्हें कहा है कि आपके मुख्यमंत्री को हम कुछ दिन में गिरफ़्तार कर लेंगे, हमने 21 विधायकों से बात कर ली है

    उन्होंने 25-25 Crore का ऑफर दिया है और कहा है कि उन्हें अपनी पार्टी से चुनाव भी लड़वा देंगे

    इन्होंने कई बार Operation Lotus… pic.twitter.com/aJvsIPD0N9
    — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 16, 2024

    This move by Kejriwal comes ahead of the ED’s sixth summons scheduled for February 19. This marks the second occasion where the Arvind Kejriwal government seeks a trust vote. The Aam Aadmi Party holds 62 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly, while the BJP has eight.

    Last week, the court summoned Kejriwal, emphasizing his legal obligation to comply. The ED has accused the Delhi chief minister of intentionally avoiding summons, with the AAP claiming that the summonses were illegal, and the agency’s objective is to arrest Kejriwal and make the Delhi government collapse by unfair means. The AAP leaders claimed that the BJP is deploying different techniques to gain power in Delhi as they cannot win against the Aam Aadmi Party in the national capital.

    The ongoing investigation involves allegations of liquor companies influencing the excise policy for a 12% profit, with the Enforcement Directorate alleging money laundering related to kickbacks. The BJP contends that AAP used the alleged scam proceeds to fund its Gujarat campaign, establishing itself as a national party.

  • ‘Conspiracy To Arrest Me, Summons Illegal’: Arvind Kejriwal Says Ready For Legal Battle Against ED |

    New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, calling the summons “false” and “illegal”. He also accused the BJP-led central government of using the ED and other agencies to harass and intimidate him and his party leaders ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said that he has explained to the ED why their summons is illegal and that he will not obey an unlawful order. He said that his biggest strength and asset is his honesty and that he has always fought for the country.

    “In the last two years, all the agencies of BJP have conducted many raids but not a single penny was found. If there is corruption then where is the money? AAP leaders are kept in jail in such fake cases. Now BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest strength and asset is my honesty,” he said.

    He also questioned the timing of the notice, saying that the BJP wants to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. He said that he had cooperated with the CBI when they had called him eight months ago, but now the ED is trying to implicate him in a 31-year-old case.

    “My lawyers told me that the summons was illegal, I wrote the question and sent it to ED. Should I obey an unlawful summon? If a legal summons comes, I will comply with it. Why am I being called just before the Lok Sabha elections? Eight months ago I was called by CBI, I went and gave all the answers. Today they want to stop me from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections,” he added.

    Kejriwal also alleged that the BJP is using the ED to lure opposition leaders into joining their party and that they are targeting honest leaders like Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair. He appealed to the people to support him in his fight against the BJP’s “politics of hatred and vendetta”.

    “Today, opposition leaders are being included in the BJP through ED. Whoever joins his party, all his matters get resolved. Today honest leaders like Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair have been put in jail. I have always fought for the country. Every breath of mine is for the country. We have to save the country together. I am fighting against them with all my heart, I need your support,” he said.

    The ED had issued a third summons to Kejriwal on December 22 last year, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3. The summons was in relation to a case registered by the ED in 2019 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against some liquor companies and government officials for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 1,000 crore to the Delhi government by evading excise duty.

    Kejriwal, in his reply to the ED, had expressed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation but declined to appear on the summoned date, calling the notice “illegal”. He had also questioned the agency for not responding to his earlier replies when the summons was sent to him and he had raised certain queries on the nature of the agency’s investigation.

    In his written reply to the ED, the Delhi CM had said “As a premier investigating agency the non-disclosure and non-response approach adopted by you cannot sustain the test of law, equity or justice. Your obstinacy is tantamount to assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner at the same time which is not acceptable in our country governed by the rule of law.”

    “In these circumstances, I urge you to respond to my earlier response and clarify the position so as to enable me to understand the real intent, ambit, nature, sweep and scope of the purported inquiry/investigation for which I am being called” he had added in his response.

    I hope this article meets your expectations. Here are some possible headlines for this article:

    Kejriwal snubs ED, says BJP wants to arrest him before polls
    BJP using ED to harass me and my party: Kejriwal
    ED summons a political conspiracy, says Kejriwal
     

  • Delhi excise policy case accused Arun Pillai alleges ‘third degree’ torture

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has sought the ED’s stand on a petition by Hyderabad businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai challenging his arrest and remand in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam wherein he has claimed “third degree” methods were applied to obtain information.

    “Third degree” refers to brutality by police officers interrogating an accused.

    Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Friday asked the probe agency to file a response with respect to the maintainability of the plea.

    Advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the March 6 arrest order of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the subsequent remand orders passed by the trial court sending him to the agency’s custody and then to judicial custody were in violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    In his plea, the petitioner submitted that no grounds for arrest, either oral or written, were ever provided to him, as required under Section 19(1) of the PMLA, and that this also violates his constitutional rights.

    It is further contended that the remand orders did not record any satisfaction of whether the ED had materials on record to form “reasons to believe” that the petitioner is guilty of an offence under the PMLA.

    “The Directorate of Enforcement, in a vindictive manner and solely as a witch-hunting exercise, has employed coercive tactics to obtain information and used third degree measures on the petitioner/applicant herein as well as the other accused,” the petition said.

    The ED “was enabled to act in such illegal manner by the Impugned Arrest Order as well as the Impugned Remand Orders, which in itself is a ground to quash the said Impugned Arrest Order and the Impugned Remand Orders”, it stated.

    The ED’s counsel contended that the petition was not maintainable.

    The court has listed the matter for further hearing on November 3 when the petitioner’s bail plea is also scheduled for consideration.

    Earlier this month, the petitioner had sought bail in the case, saying there was not an iota of evidence to keep him in jail.

    On June 8, a trial court here had dismissed Pillai’s plea for bail, saying his role was more serious than of some other accused who are still in jail, and that prima facie ED’s case was genuine.

    Pillai was not only a participant in the “conspiracy” but prima facie, he was also found to have been connected with different activities related to the proceeds, including its concealment, possession, acquisition or use and projecting it as untainted property, the trial court had said.

    The ED has claimed in its charge sheet filed in the case that Pillai was a close associate of BRS MLC K Kavitha.

    The ED’s money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR.

    According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 (now-scrapped) and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

    The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

    READ HERE | Excise policy scam: No Delhi High Court relief to AAP leader Sanjay Singh Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has sought the ED’s stand on a petition by Hyderabad businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai challenging his arrest and remand in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam wherein he has claimed “third degree” methods were applied to obtain information.

    “Third degree” refers to brutality by police officers interrogating an accused.

    Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Friday asked the probe agency to file a response with respect to the maintainability of the plea.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Advocate Nitesh Rana, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the March 6 arrest order of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the subsequent remand orders passed by the trial court sending him to the agency’s custody and then to judicial custody were in violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    In his plea, the petitioner submitted that no grounds for arrest, either oral or written, were ever provided to him, as required under Section 19(1) of the PMLA, and that this also violates his constitutional rights.

    It is further contended that the remand orders did not record any satisfaction of whether the ED had materials on record to form “reasons to believe” that the petitioner is guilty of an offence under the PMLA.

    “The Directorate of Enforcement, in a vindictive manner and solely as a witch-hunting exercise, has employed coercive tactics to obtain information and used third degree measures on the petitioner/applicant herein as well as the other accused,” the petition said.

    The ED “was enabled to act in such illegal manner by the Impugned Arrest Order as well as the Impugned Remand Orders, which in itself is a ground to quash the said Impugned Arrest Order and the Impugned Remand Orders”, it stated.

    The ED’s counsel contended that the petition was not maintainable.

    The court has listed the matter for further hearing on November 3 when the petitioner’s bail plea is also scheduled for consideration.

    Earlier this month, the petitioner had sought bail in the case, saying there was not an iota of evidence to keep him in jail.

    On June 8, a trial court here had dismissed Pillai’s plea for bail, saying his role was more serious than of some other accused who are still in jail, and that prima facie ED’s case was genuine.

    Pillai was not only a participant in the “conspiracy” but prima facie, he was also found to have been connected with different activities related to the proceeds, including its concealment, possession, acquisition or use and projecting it as untainted property, the trial court had said.

    The ED has claimed in its charge sheet filed in the case that Pillai was a close associate of BRS MLC K Kavitha.

    The ED’s money laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR.

    According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 (now-scrapped) and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

    The Delhi government had implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

    READ HERE | Excise policy scam: No Delhi High Court relief to AAP leader Sanjay Singh Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

  • Now, ED questions Sisodia’s secretary

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Saturday visited multiple locations, including the premises of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant Devendra Sharma, in connection with the money laundering angle in the Delhi excise policy case. ED officials visited at least five locations in the Delhi NCR as part of the ongoing investigation, sources added. 

    Sisodia took to twitter to claim: “They registered a false FIR, got my house raided, searched bank lockers, checked in my village but found nothing against me. Today, they did not find anything at my PA’s house, so now they have arrested him and taken him away.” In another tweet, he alleged the ED action is because of the upcoming state elections.

    However, ED sources told this paper that no arrests were made though occupants of the premises searched were questioned.The ED has so far conducted more than 130 raids in across India including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It arrested Sameer Mahandru, managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit, in September.

    The money laundering case being investigated by ED is the fallout of a CBI FIR on the Delhi excise policy case in which Sisodia has been named as accused number one. The CBI is probing the irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, which Sisodia had approved. The irregularities allegedly caused huge losses to the state exchequer while benefiting private parties including liquor traders and middlemen. The CBI is also conducting a parallel investigation into the matter under Prevention of Corruption Act. In the latter case, Sisodia was questioned last month for over nine hours. 

    ‘Need new engine not double engine govt’Sisodia tried to woo Himachal voters saying AAP can make a “new-engine” govt in the state. He said the BJP’s “double-engine government” took Himachal Pradesh in the wrong direction

    NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Saturday visited multiple locations, including the premises of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant Devendra Sharma, in connection with the money laundering angle in the Delhi excise policy case. ED officials visited at least five locations in the Delhi NCR as part of the ongoing investigation, sources added. 

    Sisodia took to twitter to claim: “They registered a false FIR, got my house raided, searched bank lockers, checked in my village but found nothing against me. Today, they did not find anything at my PA’s house, so now they have arrested him and taken him away.” In another tweet, he alleged the ED action is because of the upcoming state elections.

    However, ED sources told this paper that no arrests were made though occupants of the premises searched were questioned.The ED has so far conducted more than 130 raids in across India including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It arrested Sameer Mahandru, managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit, in September.

    The money laundering case being investigated by ED is the fallout of a CBI FIR on the Delhi excise policy case in which Sisodia has been named as accused number one. The CBI is probing the irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, which Sisodia had approved. The irregularities allegedly caused huge losses to the state exchequer while benefiting private parties including liquor traders and middlemen. The CBI is also conducting a parallel investigation into the matter under Prevention of Corruption Act. In the latter case, Sisodia was questioned last month for over nine hours. 

    ‘Need new engine not double engine govt’
    Sisodia tried to woo Himachal voters saying AAP can make a “new-engine” govt in the state. He said the BJP’s “double-engine government” took Himachal Pradesh in the wrong direction

  • Pan-India raids: ED searches 40 locations as part of Delhi liquor policy case

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The ED on Friday launched fresh raids at about 40 locations across the country as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, official sources said.

    The searches are being conducted at premises linked to liquor businessmen, distributors and supply chain networks in Nellore and some other cities in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR, they said.

    This is the second round of raids being conducted by the federal agency in this case after it first conducted searches on September 6 at about 45 locations across the country.

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case of money laundering in the excise policy stems from a CBI FIR in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and some bureaucrats have been named as accused.

    The excise policy has been rolled back now.

    The CBI conducted raids in the case on August 19, covering the Delhi residences of Sisodia (50), IAS officer and former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and 19 other locations across seven states and Union Territories.

    Sisodia holds multiple portfolios in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government including excise and education.

    The ED is probing if alleged irregularities were done in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought out in November last year and if some alleged “proceeds of crime” in terms of tainted money was generated by the accused.

    The agency also is expected to question AAP leader and minister Satyendar Jain in the Tihar jail in connection with this case on Friday after it obtained permission from a local court to do so.

    NEW DELHI: The ED on Friday launched fresh raids at about 40 locations across the country as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, official sources said.

    The searches are being conducted at premises linked to liquor businessmen, distributors and supply chain networks in Nellore and some other cities in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR, they said.

    This is the second round of raids being conducted by the federal agency in this case after it first conducted searches on September 6 at about 45 locations across the country.

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case of money laundering in the excise policy stems from a CBI FIR in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and some bureaucrats have been named as accused.

    The excise policy has been rolled back now.

    The CBI conducted raids in the case on August 19, covering the Delhi residences of Sisodia (50), IAS officer and former Delhi excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna, and 19 other locations across seven states and Union Territories.

    Sisodia holds multiple portfolios in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government including excise and education.

    The ED is probing if alleged irregularities were done in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought out in November last year and if some alleged “proceeds of crime” in terms of tainted money was generated by the accused.

    The agency also is expected to question AAP leader and minister Satyendar Jain in the Tihar jail in connection with this case on Friday after it obtained permission from a local court to do so.