ED says K Kavitha conspired with Kejriwal, Sisodia for favours in liquor policy
- In Reports
- 11:41 AM, Mar 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Directorate of Enforcement's interrogation revealed that K Kavitha along with others conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia to get favours in the Delhi Excise policy formulation and implementation.
Kavitha was arrested by the central agency on Saturday from Hyderabad. She was produced before a special PMLA court the next day, which sent her to ED custody until March 23.
According to an ED statement, "Kavitha along with others "conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for getting favours in the Delhi excise policy formulation and implementation."
"In exchange for these favours, she was involved in paying ₹100 crore to the leaders of AAP," the agency added.
By the acts of "corruption and conspiracy" in the formulation and implementation of Delhi excise policy 2021-22, a continuous stream of illegal funds in the form of kickbacks from the wholesalers was generated for the AAP, it said.
It alleged that "Kavitha and her associates were to recover the proceeds of crime paid in advance to AAP and to further generate profits/proceeds of crime from this entire conspiracy."
"Till date, the ED has conducted searches on 245 locations across the country including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and other places. 15 Persons including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair from AAP have been arrested in the case so far."
According to the ED out of the Proceeds of Crime generated, assets worth Rs. 128.79 Crore have been traced so far.
Manish Sisodia, serving as the excise minister, oversaw the implementation of the new liquor policy in Delhi. He was subsequently arrested by the ED in February 2023 on suspicion of corruption. Following this, the agency also apprehended Sanjay Singh, another prominent figure within the AAP, several months later.
The ED recently sent a 9th summon to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to appear before it for questioning on March 21. The AAP has been claiming that the agency wants to arrest the chief minister before the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, the CBI on Monday opposed the bail to Manish Sisodia and said some "high-profile individuals" may be arrested soon. "Regarding the conspiracy, our investigation is ongoing. Some high-profile person or anyone else may be arrested," the CBI’s counsel stated.
Image source: Business Today
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