The Delhi High Court on Friday declined former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s request for an early hearing of his plea challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet in the excise policy case.
Kejriwal had sought expedited proceedings, citing the ED’s recent clarification and the absence of a sanction copy. However, the court directed that the case proceed on its originally scheduled date of December 20, 2024.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, presiding over the matter, instructed both parties to exchange documents before the scheduled hearing. The plea contests the trial court’s decision to take cognizance of the ED’s chargesheet without obtaining prior sanction under Section 197(1) of the CrPC, which Kejriwal’s counsel argued is mandatory as he was a public servant at the time of the alleged offence.
Earlier, the High Court had issued a notice to the ED on Kejriwal’s plea but refrained from granting a stay on the trial proceedings. The upcoming hearing will address both the stay application and the plea seeking to quash the trial court’s order.
Alleged Excise Policy Scam
The Enforcement Directorate has accused Kejriwal and other AAP leaders of orchestrating a money-laundering scheme through the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. According to the ED, the policy was deliberately designed to benefit AAP leaders and liquor cartels by offering preferential treatment, such as license fee waivers and discounts.
The agency alleged that AAP leaders received kickbacks amounting to 6% of a fixed 12% profit margin granted to wholesale liquor distributors. These funds were purportedly used to influence elections in Punjab and Goa in early 2022.
Kejriwal, currently out on bail in cases filed by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has denied the allegations and challenged the legality of the charges against him.
The case, steeped in allegations of corruption and political misuse of public policy, will be closely monitored as it unfolds in court.
The December 20 hearing will be critical in determining whether Kejriwal’s plea for quashing the chargesheet holds merit, with broader implications for the Aam Aadmi Party and its leadership.
