New Delhi. Delhi government chief Arvind Kejriwal is embroiled in the alleged liquor scam or rather excise scam. In his government, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had to spend 17 months in jail in the liquor scam case. Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also went to jail and returned on bail. Kejriwal’s close aide Vijay Nair also had to stay in jail. Telangana MLC and former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha was also sent to jail by the ED in the liquor scam case. We are going to tell you why the liquor scam was alleged in Delhi and why Arvind Kejriwal was embroiled in it?
What is Delhi’s alleged liquor scam?
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi brought a new excise policy in 2021-22. It was implemented in November 2021. In July 2022, the then Chief Secretary of Delhi, Naresh Kumar, sent a report to the Lieutenant Governor. This report said that there are procedural flaws in the new excise policy. The Chief Secretary said in the report that the then Deputy CM and Excise Minister of Delhi Government Manish Sisodia took unilateral and arbitrary decisions. This caused a loss of more than Rs 580 crore to the treasury of Delhi. It was alleged that liquor traders were allowed to earn money and the income of the Delhi government decreased. Apart from this, the earnest money of liquor traders was also returned in the name of loss of business in Corona.
Who all are arrested and what are the charges against Arvind Kejriwal?
Manish Sisodia was the first to be arrested in this case. After this, Sanjay Singh was arrested and sent to jail. Then apart from other accused, Arvind Kejriwal and lastly K. Kavitha were also arrested by ED. ED accused Arvind Kejriwal of being involved in a conspiracy to benefit some people under the liquor scam. In return, he took a bribe of Rs 100 crore from South Cartel and spent Rs 45 crore from this amount for campaigning in the Goa Assembly elections. ED has called Arvind Kejriwal the kingpin of the liquor scam. ED alleges that Kejriwal spoke to Sameer Mahendru, one of the main accused in the liquor scam, on a video call. He asked him to continue working with accused Vijay Nair.
Whose names are in South Cartel?
According to the ED, the South Cartel includes K. Kavitha, MP Magunta Reddy, his son Magunta Raghav Reddy, chartered accountant Buchibabu Gorantla, Hyderabad liquor businessman Abhishek Boinpalli and P. Sharath Candra Reddy of a pharmaceutical company. The ED accused Arvind Kejriwal of being directly involved in the new excise policy of the Delhi government made in 2021-22. According to the investigating agency, the South Cartel took undue advantage of this liquor policy. The cartel also acquired retail shops along with the wholesale liquor business. After arresting K. Kavitha, the ED also alleged that Arvind Kejriwal conspired for the liquor scam. The ED also claimed that the accused destroyed all their mobiles. Also, all the money related to the scam was taken in cash and spent in cash through hawala. At the same time, Arvind Kejriwal and other accused argue that there is no evidence. Also, ED and CBI have not been able to recover a single penny. They argue that action is being taken only on the basis of statements instead of evidence. He has also described this action as a political conspiracy.
