A case was filed after a report by then Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting several “procedural errors and gaps” in policy development.
The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday released AAP national Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his top associate Manish Sisodia, along with 23 others in the excise policy case, referred to as the liquor policy scam, clearing them of charges of supposed corruption and misconduct, asserting that there was “no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent.”
Kejriwal and Sisodia’s release in the case follows their months of imprisonment and, as anticipated, has provoked strong responses from the AAP and INDIA bloc; both have charged the ruling BJP with “deploying” Central agencies against them for political advantage.
The matter involves the Delhi Excise Policy, created by the AAP administration in November 2021, aimed at revamping and restructuring the liquor industry and its regulation in the national capital. Months after the policy was implemented, it became embroiled in controversy, with the BJP alleging that the AAP government was colluding with the liquor mafia to enrich itself. The policy was later abandoned a year afterward in 2022.
A case was filed after a report by then Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting several “procedural errors and gaps” in policy development.
The report presented to L-G Saxena mentioned several “unilateral and arbitrary decisions” made by the former minister Manish Sisodia and asserted that it caused “financial losses to the exchequer” estimated to exceed Rs 500 crore.
The Kejriwal administration, amid controversy, dismissed allegations of wrongdoing and complicity, asserting that this was aimed at enhancing customer experience and combating the liquor black market.
The report provided to the Delhi L-G highlighted “kickbacks” and “illegal gratification” obtained by the AAP government and its leaders from liquor business owners. It claimed that discounts and exemptionsworth hundreds of crores of rupees were provided on licensing fees.
Respondingtoreports of ‘gross violations,’ the L-G suggested a CBI investigation.
The CBI, during its probe,accused Manish Sisodia and other AAP officials of seriousinfractions,suchasmodifying the liquor policy to advantage wholesalers, and subsequentlydetained him.
It alleged that AAP leaders received “kickbacks” amounting to Rs 100 crores from various liquor companies, including some from southern states.
“This amount was redirected to support the party’s electoral campaigns in Goa and Punjab, which were approaching Assembly elections in 2022,” it asserted.
The problem escalated into a significant controversy, with the BJP alleging that the Kejriwal administration was plundering the treasury to fulfill the party’s political goals, while the latter categorically denied the allegations, accusing the BJP-led Centre of targeting AAP unfairly.
Later, when the charges were established, Arvind Kejriwal was identified as the ‘main conspirator’ in the purported scam within the CBI charge sheet, with the ex-Chief Minister being directly accused of creating the contentious policy and misappropriating crime proceeds
