Arvind Kejriwal (PTI)
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had a "preconceived" plan to privatise liquor business in the national capital and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) benefited from illicit funds it raised through the excise policy "scam", the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged before a special court here.
The CBI made the allegations before Special Judge Kaveri Baweja in its supplementary charge sheet filed against Kejriwal in the case recently.
The court took cognisance of the charge sheet against Kejriwal, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak and others on September 3.
According to sources, the CBI alleged that Kejriwal, who was the overall in-charge of the party as its national convenor, was behind the criminal conspiracy to generate illicit funds.
It alleged that in order to execute his preconceived plan, Kejriwal sought monetary support for AAP in March 2021, when the excise policy was being formulated by a Group of Ministers (GoM) led by co-accused Manish Sisodia. Sisodia was then the deputy chief minister and held the excise portfolio.
Kejriwal’s close associate and AAP's former communication in-charge Vijay Nair, also an accused in the case, was alleged to have approached various stakeholders in the liquor business and demanded illegal gratification in exchange for "favourable adjustments" in the policy.
The charge sheet claimed that Nair had no authority or reason to approach different stakeholders in the liquor business and that he could not have done so without Kejriwal's authorisation and direction.
The CBI alleged that the illicit funds generated were used to cover AAP's election expenses in the Goa assembly elections.
It alleged that Pathak, who was the overall in-charge of AAP for the Goa assembly elections, managed all poll-related expenditure.
The judge, while taking cognisance, said there was sufficient evidence against Kejriwal and other accused to proceed against them.
The judge issued a production warrant for Kejriwal, who is lodged in judicial custody, and summoned Pathak on September 11.
The CBI had filed a supplementary chargesheet against Kejriwal, Pathak, Vinod Chauhan, Ashish Mathur and Sarath Reddy a few weeks ago.
The CBI informed the court last month that it had obtained the requisite sanctions to prosecute Kejriwal and Pathak in the case.