Around four statements regarding some ‘high-profile’ meetings, details of WhatsApp chat and FaceTime calls between Arvind Kejriwal, his close associates and those accused of taking kickbacks in connection with the alleged excise policy scam — these are the evidences based on which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued three summonses to the Delhi chief minister, News18 has learnt.
Kejriwal has skipped two summonses already and written to the agency expressing his inability to attend the third. He had earlier written to the ED, asking the agency to withdraw the summons served to him to appear before it in the excise policy case, alleging they were “illegal and politically motivated”.
“I have lived all my life with honesty and transparency. I have nothing to hide,” the AAP national convener had said in his communication to ED.
According to sources in the ED, there are proofs, including the details of some WhatsApp conversations and FaceTime calls between the accused and the chief minister or the close associates or colleagues of the chief minister, which indicate the complicity of some senior cabinet ministers of the Delhi government in enforcing the excise policy.
A source further said that Kejriwal, being the chief of the party as well, was aware of all such dealings and understandings. “Some papers were signed in his presence. We need to record his statement about certain important evidences we have related to the investigation,” said the source.
He further added that the chief minister has been summoned thrice, while the date for his appearance is scheduled on January 2. Kejriwal appeared before the CBI once. However, he chose to skip all earlier summons by the ED, he added.
The Excise Scam
Delhi’s excise policy scam is based on a report filed by the UT’s chief secretary Naresh Kumar to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022.
In the five-page report, he hinted towards alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the policy. Kumar alleged that “arbitrary and unilateral decisions” were taken by then excise minister Manish Sisodia. He also said the new policy resulted in financial losses to the government exchequer, while some AAP leaders and ministers received ‘kickbacks’. The case was taken over by the CBI and Sisodia was arrested in February. From the CBI, ED took over the probe to look into the money-laundering aspect of the policy.
In a report early this year, the ED stated that “investigation revealed that acts of corruption and conspiracy in the formulation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 led to the loss of at least Rs 2,873 crore to the government exchequer. Proceeds of Crime generated by the activities relating to the scheduled offence under the sections prevention of corruption act and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code”.
Two senior politicians of AAP — Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh — are already behind bars in connection with the case.
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