On Tuesday, May 2, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) named Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha in its second supplementary chargesheet in the Delhi liquor policy case. The leader, however, hasn’t been listed as an accused. His name has come up in a few statements in the supplementary chargesheet ED filed in the liquor scam case.
Notably, two more AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, have already been named in the chargesheet.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha's name also mentioned in ED's Delhi liquor policy case supplementary chargesheet.
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2023
Statement reads- …at Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s residence, there was a meeting of Raghav Chadha, ACS Finance of Punjab Govt, Excise Commissioner, Varun Roojam,… pic.twitter.com/g4QOLSYnTF
The chargesheet states that C Arvind, Manish Sisodia’s PA, mentioned Raghav Chadha in his statement. In his testimony, C Arvind claimed that Raghav Chadha, the Punjab Excise Commissioner, an Excise Officer, and Vijay Nair attended a meeting at Manish Sisodia’s home.
It may be recalled that last month, the Central Bureau of Investigation summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to question him in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. The chargesheet also mentioned that Delhi’s new excise policy was the brainchild of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has already been arrested in connection with the case. The AAP govt is accused of changing its excise policy to benefit select business houses.
The liquor policy was first proposed in September 2020 but came into effect in November 2021. It changed the manner in which alcohol was being sold in the National Capital, introducing private players in the market and marking the exit of government-owned liquor vendors.
While the objective of Excise Policy 2021-2022 was to end black marketing and the liquor mafia, the Delhi government soon came under fire over allegations of corruption. Chief Secretary of Delhi, Naresh Kumar, found irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a CBI probe on the recommendation of Naresh Kumar.
It was found that Manish Sisodia had waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the Coronavirus pandemic. He had also waived import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case, causing loss of Delhi govt and benefiting liquor licensees.
Moreover, the changes to the Excise Policy were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993.
The new excise policy was withdrawn by Delhi govt in July 2022. Following that, CBI booked Manish Sisodia, and several others in an FIR for irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022.
