Delhi HC Rejects Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea for Early Hearing In Excise Policy Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday turns down Arvind Kejriwal’s plea for an expedited hearing of his challenge against the ED’s chargesheet in the alleged excise policy scam.

The court directed that the case be heard as scheduled on December 20, 2024.

Kejriwal, former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, had sought an early hearing, citing the ED’s recent clarification on certain matters and the absence of a copy of the sanction.

However, Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri instructed that all relevant documents be exchanged before the scheduled date.

Earlier, the High Court had issued a notice on Kejriwal’s plea challenging the trial court’s cognizance of the ED chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The plea argues that the trial court erred in taking cognizance without obtaining prior sanction under Section 197(1) of the CrPC, as Kejriwal was a public servant at the time of the alleged offence.

Scam Allegations

The ED has accused AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, of orchestrating a scam involving the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. According to the ED, the policy was deliberately designed with loopholes to benefit AAP leaders and encourage cartel formations. The agency claims that AAP leaders received kickbacks from liquor businesses in return for preferential treatment, such as discounts, license fee waivers, and relief during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The alleged scheme involved granting wholesale liquor distribution rights to private entities with a fixed 12% profit margin, of which a 6% kickback was allegedly routed to AAP leaders. The ED further alleges that these funds were used to influence elections in Punjab and Goa in early 2022.

Currently, Kejriwal is out on bail in both the ED and CBI cases related to the excise policy. The High Court has not granted a stay on the trial proceedings at this stage but will consider arguments for a stay and the plea to quash the trial court’s order during the December hearing.

This case continues to draw attention as it raises significant questions about political accountability and the alleged misuse of government policies for financial and electoral gains.

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