Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been accused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of being ‘prima facie guilty’ of money laundering in the excise case. The ED, in its reply to the Delhi High Court, claimed that it had material in its possession indicating Kejriwal’s guilt. The court will hear Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest for money laundering. The agency argued that Kejriwal was the key conspirator in the Delhi excise scam, colluding with ministers of the Delhi Government, AAP leaders, and others. ED further alleged that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formulation of the Excise Policy 2021-22.

The ED cited Kejriwal’s submission in which he did not oppose the agency’s plea for custody during the trial court proceedings. The agency stated that since Kejriwal had waived his right to question his custody, he could not now argue that his current custody is illegal. ED also accused Kejriwal of intentionally disobeying its summonses and not cooperating with the investigation.

Various statements made by individuals involved in AAP’s election campaign in Goa allegedly revealed cash payments for their work. The ED claimed that Vijay Nair and Durgesh Pathak, AAP MLA in Delhi, managed these activities. The agency alleged that this showed the utilization of proceeds of crime by the representative of Manish Sisodia in the Goa elections. ED further stated that there was evidence of Rs 45 crore in cash being moved through Hawala from various channels linked to the South group to AAP’s Goa campaign.

The Delhi High Court had previously refused to grant interim relief to Kejriwal and asked ED to file its reply to the challenge of his arrest and subsequent remand. The court emphasized that the matter raised important issues that could not be decided without seeking the agency’s stand. Kejriwal’s petition will be heard by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

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