The CBI on Monday concluded its investigation into the alleged Delhi excise policy scam and filed its final chargesheet in the case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and four others, including Aam Aadmi Party MLA Durgesh Pathak. The central probe agency had earlier filed a main chargesheet and four supplementary chargesheets in the case, which also names former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Telangana MLC K Kavitha and 15 others as accused.
In the final chargesheet, the CBI has named Arvind Kejriwal, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, Aurobindo Pharma non-executive director P. Sharath Chandra Reddy, Buddy Retail Private Limited director Amit Arora, alleged hawala operator Vinod Chauhan and businessman Ashish Mathur as accused. The investigating agency has alleged that liquor baron Magunta Srinivasalu Reddy (now TDP MP) met Arvind Kejriwal at his office in the Delhi Secretariat on March 16, 2021.
Magunta Reddy and Kejriwal met at Delhi Secretariat
The CBI had said in its chargesheet against K. Kavitha that Magunta Reddy had allegedly requested Kejriwal to provide assistance to his liquor business in the national capital by making changes in the Excise Policy 2021-22, which was then being formulated. The CBI has alleged that Kejriwal assured Reddy of support and asked him to contact the accused K. Kavitha. According to the central investigating agency, K. Kavitha was then working with CM Kejriwal’s team on Delhi’s excise policy.
Related news
- Lok Sabha elections: More votes were counted than were actually cast, 5.54 lakh votes were counted less in 362 seats, ADR report
- Jaya Bachchan: Rajya Sabha MP got angry in the House on being called ‘Jaya Amitabh Bachchan’, watch this video
- UP: Two Kanwariyas died in a road accident in Bijnor, were going to Haridwar to collect Gangajal
- Congress: Congress Parliamentary Party meeting will be held in Delhi tomorrow, strategy to corner Modi government to be discussed
- ‘Give me 20 thousand rupees and I will make a website just like a bank…’, the man started dealing with the scammer
The investigating agency has alleged that in return, the Delhi Chief Minister allegedly asked Manguta Reddy to provide funds to his Aam Aadmi Party. The CBI also claimed that bribes of about Rs 90-100 crore were paid in advance to some politicians and other public servants of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi by co-accused Vijay Nair, Abhishek Boinpalli, Dinesh Arora and some people associated with the liquor business of South India to make changes in the excise policy of 2021-22.
A cartel was formed in violation of the provisions
The agency had alleged in the chargesheet filed earlier that the bribe was paid back from the profit margin of the wholesalers holding L-1 licences through various means, such as issuing additional credit notes, bank transfers and balances left in the bank accounts of companies controlled by the South Lobby. The CBI had alleged that a cartel was formed between the three stakeholders of the said policy – liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers – in violation of the provisions and against the spirit of the policy.
The central investigating agency has said in its charge sheet that all the conspirators of the Delhi Excise Policy Duty scam played an active role in achieving the illegal objectives of the criminal conspiracy. The CBI has alleged that as a result, the Delhi government treasury suffered huge losses and public servants and other accused involved in the conspiracy received undue economic benefits. Let us tell you that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail.