What is Delhi Excise Policy Case? Check List of Top Leaders Arrested by ED So Far

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) late Thursday evening concerning the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. Rapid Action Force (RAF) officials arrived outside Kejriwal's residence for security. Delhi Finance Minister Atishi said that the Supreme Court of India on Friday will hear a case against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal had sought an urgent hearing into the matter but later declined. A day earlier to his arrest, the Delhi High Court refused to grant Kejriwal interim protection from coercive action. This comes after the investigative agency issued multiple summons to the Chief Minister.

What is the Delhi Excise Policy Case?

Currently, two cases were registered about the excise policy case, one by the CBI and another of alleged money laundering by the ED.

The liquor scam in which the Delhi Chief Minister has been arrested pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-2022.

The case arose after the then Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report to the  Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the liquor policy. The report also submitted to CBI said 'arbitrary and unilateral decisions' taken by former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia as Excise Minister resulted in 'financial losses to the exchequer' worth over Rs 580 crore.

This report submitted to the crime branch led to Sisiodia's arrest and named him and 14 others including AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair in the FIR.

Meanwhile, the ED alleged AAP leaders received kickbacks with Rs 100 crore in the policy, with Kejriwal's name being mentioned multiple times.

List of Political Leaders Arrested in the Case Other Than Kejriwal:

Manish Sisodia

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Kejriwal's close aide Manish Sisodia was the first leader to be arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, in the case. Sisodia was later arrested by the ED on March 9, 2023.

Sanjay Singh

After Sisodia, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was arrested in the Delhi Excise Policy Case on October 4, 2023. Singh has also challenged the probe agency in the liquor scam case.

Kavitha Kalvakuntla

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, K Kavitha was arrested by the ED on March 15 in Hyderabad and was brought to Delhi. The ED claimed that Kavitha too was associated with a lobby of liquor traders called the 'South Group' also exerted to infleuicne the case.