Excise Policy Case: Delhi HC Grants ED More Time To Respond To Kejriwal, Sisodia’s Petition

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted the Enforcement Directorate additional time to respond to the petition filed by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, challenging the trial court’s decision to take cognizance of the chargesheets in the Delhi Excise Liquor Policy case.

The bench, led by Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, scheduled the next hearing for February 5.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had issued a notice on the plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, contesting the trial court’s order that allowed the ED chargesheet against them to proceed.

The petition argued that the trial court erred in taking cognizance of the charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) without obtaining prior sanction for prosecution under Section 197(1) of the CrPC. This is especially significant as Kejriwal, being the Chief Minister at the time, was a public servant.

Both Kejriwal and Sisodia are currently out on bail in the cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) related to the now-scrapped excise policy.

The ED claims that the excise policy was designed with deliberate loopholes to benefit AAP leaders and promote cartel formations. The agency alleges that AAP leaders received kickbacks from liquor businesses in exchange for favors, including discounted prices, license fee waivers, and financial relief during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the ED has accused AAP leaders of influencing the outcomes of the 2022 elections in Punjab and Goa, as well as awarding wholesale liquor distribution rights to private entities for a fixed 12% margin, in return for a 6% kickback.

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