New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Arvind Kejriwal in the money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped controversial Delhi excise policy case case.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also been named as accused in the chargesheet, which was filed before Rouse Avenue court here. The accused have been sought to be charged under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The 55-year-old Delhi CM, who is AAP’s national convenor, was arrested by ED on March 21. Kejriwal is currently out of jail on interim bail.
This is ED’s eighth chargesheet in the case, in which it has arrested 18 people so far. The central probe agency last week filed a similar complaint against BRS leader and former Telangana CM Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha and four others.
ED has alleged that Kejriwal is the ‘kingpin and key conspirator’ of the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for ED, told Supreme Court that the agency has “direct evidence” that Kejriwal stayed in a seven-star hotel, whose bills were partly paid by an accused in the case.
Kavitha, who was arrested by ED from Hyderabad two months ago, has been accused of being a key member of the ‘South Group’, which has allegedly paid Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to the AAP government in Delhi in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national Capital.
SC reserves verdict on Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging arrest in money laundering case
Meanwhile, Supreme Court on Friday reserved its order on Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by ED and his subsequent remand.
The top court granted him liberty to move the trial court for regular bail in the matter, in accordance with law.