India

Delhi excise policy case: ED files prosecution complaint against AAP and CM Arvind Kejriwal

In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a national political party, as an accused in a supplementary chargesheet filed in the Rouse Avenue court. This marks the first time that a political party has been named as an accused in a case in the country’s jurisprudence. The chargesheet is related to an alleged liquor policy scam and the ED is investigating the money laundering angle of the case.

The chargesheet filed by the ED also names Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the AAP, who is currently out on interim bail in the case. This is the eighth chargesheet filed by the agency in the alleged scam, but the first in which the Delhi Chief Minister has been named. Previously, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were taken into custody in connection with the case.

The decision to name the AAP as an accused can have major repercussions for the party. The ED now has the option to write to the Election Commission of India and request the process of derecognizing the Aam Aadmi Party. Additionally, the agency can also attach the party’s assets, including its headquarters in Delhi. This development comes at a time when the AAP is already facing controversy surrounding its Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who has alleged assault by an aide of Arvind Kejriwal.

The Supreme Court had previously raised the question of why the AAP was not being named as an accused if it had benefited from the alleged kickbacks in the liquor policy case. The court clarified that its query was not meant to implicate any political party but was a legal question. The court also held that a political party can be brought within the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The naming of the Aam Aadmi Party as an accused in the liquor policy scam marks a significant development in the country’s jurisprudence. This is the first time a political party has been named as an accused in a case. The ED’s decision to name the AAP can have major repercussions for the party, including the possibility of derecognition and asset attachment. The involvement of the Supreme Court in questioning the non-inclusion of the party as an accused further adds to the significance of this case.