A Delhi court on Thursday delivered a significant verdict by acquitting former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in two cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The cases pertained to his failure to appear before the agency in connection with the ongoing Delhi excise policy money laundering probe.
Court Order Details
The order was passed by additional chief judicial magistrate Paras Dalal at the Rouse Avenue Courts. The Enforcement Directorate had approached the court in February 2024, seeking action against Kejriwal for not complying with summons issued under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. According to the agency, Kejriwal had failed to appear despite being summoned five times as part of its investigation.
Background of the Money Laundering Probe
The money laundering investigation stems from a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation on August 17, 2022. This case focused on alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy for the 2021–22 period. The CBI case was initiated based on a complaint filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on July 20, 2022.
Following the CBI's action, the Enforcement Directorate registered its own case on August 22, 2022, to investigate the money laundering angle. The excise policy was subsequently scrapped in 2022 after the lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.
Allegations and Legal Proceedings
According to the CBI and ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, and undue favours were extended to licence holders. Kejriwal was later arrested in the main excise policy case, though he was eventually granted bail by the Supreme Court.
Additional Acquittals
In a related development, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was also acquitted on Thursday in one case and discharged in another. These cases were related to his alleged non-compliance with summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case.
This series of court decisions marks a notable moment in the legal battles surrounding the Delhi excise policy investigation, highlighting the complexities and ongoing judicial scrutiny in high-profile political cases.
