The Enforcement Directorate on Monday alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K. Kavitha conspired with top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party—Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia—for getting favours in the Delhi excise policy formulation and implementation. The ED, in a statement, said “in exchange of these favours she (Kavitha) was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP”.
The statement said, “ED investigation revealed that Kavitha along with others conspired with the top leaders of AAP including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for getting favours in the Delhi excise policy formulation and implementation. In exchange of these favours, she was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP”.
The ED statement indicates that the agency is structuring its case against Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal who is involved in a legal tussle with the agency over his appearance for questioning in the excise policy case. Kejriwal has repeatedly claimed that ED summons to him are part of a political witch hunt by the BJP against the AAP.
Kavitha was arrested by the ED on March 16 in Hyderabad following searches at her residence. The special PMLA court has sent her to ED custody until March 23.
Earlier, the ED, while seeking remand of Kavitha, told a Delhi court that she is a “key conspirator and beneficiary” of the Delhi excise policy scam. The ED alleged before the court that “Kavitha orchestrated a deal with CM, Delhi Govt, Arvind Kejriwal and then deputy CM and minister of excise, Manish Sisodia, wherein she along with other members of the South Group paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen. In exchange of the kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP she had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure favourable position to her.”
The ED further alleged that Kavitha got stakes in partnership of Indo Spirits, through her dummy named Arun Pillai, without substantial investment in this firm and distribution business of one of the biggest manufacturers in the country and thus made Indo Spirits the most profitable licencee in the Delhi Excise policy.
“Further, in the policy, the profit margin of the wholesaler was increased to 12 per cent so that out of this margin, a portion of it could be taken back as kickbacks. This was done to create a continuous stream of illegal funds for the AAP in the form of kickbacks from the wholesalers and for the South Group to recover the kickbacks paid and further generate profits from this entire conspiracy,” the ED told the court.
On Monday, the agency issued a statement saying that it is because of the corruption and conspiracy in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22, that “a continuous stream of illegal funds in the form of kickback, from the wholesalers was generated for the AAP”.
Till now, the ED has searched 245 locations across the country including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and fifteen persons including Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair from the AAP have been arrested. The central agency has attached assets worth Rs 128.79 crore in the case so far.
