CBI accuses Arvind Kejriwal and AAP of criminal conspiracy in excise policy privatisation
PTC News Desk: In a recently filed supplementary charge sheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of benefiting from illicit funds generated through a criminal conspiracy related to the defunct excise policy. The charge sheet alleges that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was involved in this conspiracy from the outset, linking him directly to the formulation and implementation of the controversial policy.
Allegations Against AAP and Key Figures
The CBI’s allegations center around a purported plot by AAP to privatize the excise policy to secure financial support. The agency specifically accuses Vijay Nair, a close associate of Kejriwal who was granted bail earlier this week, of soliciting illegal gratification from business owners in exchange for favorable adjustments to the policy. According to the CBI, Nair’s actions could not have occurred without the explicit direction of Kejriwal.
The charge sheet also criticises AAP’s financial disclosure during the Goa assembly election campaign. The CBI alleges that the party’s expenditure report was misleading, listing only payments made through banks and omitting cash payments made to vendors, assembly managers, booth in-charges, and volunteers. The agency contends that the illicit funds from the conspiracy were funneled into AAP’s election campaign in Goa.
Evidence and Key Figures
The CBI claims to have both oral and documentary evidence indicating that Durgesh Pathak, an AAP leader responsible for overseeing the Goa election campaign, managed the election-related expenditures. Additionally, Chanpreet Singh Rayat is alleged to have collected illicit money through hawala channels in Goa and made cash payments, acting under Pathak’s direction.
Legal Developments
Several AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, have been arrested in connection with the alleged scam. Sisodia, who had been in jail since February 2023, was released earlier this year.
Singh was also released on bail previously. Arvind Kejriwal has been in custody since March 11. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear his bail plea today in relation to the corruption case filed by the CBI.
The unfolding developments in this case continue to attract significant attention as the CBI’s investigation progresses and legal proceedings advance.