Sat Dec 21 10:58:12 UTC 2024: ## ED Gets Green Light to Prosecute Kejriwal in Delhi Liquor Scam

**New Delhi:** The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has received the Lieutenant Governor’s sanction to prosecute former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged money laundering linked to the Delhi liquor policy scam, sources confirmed. This development comes ahead of crucial Delhi elections, posing a significant challenge for Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The AAP vehemently denies the allegations, calling them false and demanding the ED release a copy of the Lt. Governor’s sanction. A Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case was filed against Kejriwal earlier, but the trial was pending until the Supreme Court mandated the Lt. Governor’s approval for prosecuting government officials in such cases.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the decision. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva reiterated accusations of Kejriwal taking commissions in the scam, asserting that the investigation will expose him.

Conversely, AAP Chief Minister Atishi termed the news a distraction tactic, demanding transparency from the ED by publicly releasing the approval letter. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia echoed this sentiment, suggesting it was an attempt to deflect attention from a controversy surrounding Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar.

The ED’s investigation alleges Kejriwal and Sisodia orchestrated changes to the 2021-22 Excise Policy to benefit a South Indian lobby in exchange for a ₹100 crore bribe, with ₹45 crore allegedly used for Goa election campaigning. Kejriwal, arrested in March and released on bail in September, has since resigned as Chief Minister. Both Kejriwal and Sisodia, who also faced arrest and imprisonment in the case, have been named as masterminds in the ED’s chargesheet. Kejriwal has challenged the chargesheet in the Delhi High Court.

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