AAP: Vindicated by excise bail; Delhi BJP points to Sisodia

Delhi cabinet minister and AAP leader Atishi said Joshi and Malhotra were central figures in the ED and CBI cases of AAP allegedly receiving kickbacks

A day after Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court granted bail to two people in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday said the court order vindicates the party’s stand that the case is a fabrication to defame the party, and that there is no corroborative material or evidence to back up the allegations. The AAP also demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tender an apology for levelling “false allegations” against it.

AAP members at an April 27 protest over ED arrests in connection with the Delhi excise policy. (ANI)

The BJP hit back, noting that the court had, at an earlier date, rejected the bail application of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on February 8 arrested Punjab-based liquor businessman Gautam Malhotra in connection with the case, and arrested Rajesh Joshi, the owner of Chariot Production Media Pvt Ltd, a day later.

ED claimed that Malhotra was a part of a cartel formed by liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Joshi, meanwhile, is alleged to have helped the other accused in laundering money by creating fake invoices without providing any service.

ED has also alleged that Joshi was a close associate of co­-accused Vijay Nair, and he was involved in the channelisation of illegal kickbacks through expenditures borne by AAP in connection with the 2022 Goa assembly elections through his media agency.

On May 6, special judge MK Nagpal granted bail to both on condition of furnishing a bail bond of ₹2 lakh each.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Delhi cabinet minister and AAP leader Atishi said Joshi and Malhotra were central figures in the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation cases of AAP allegedly receiving kickbacks from the irregularities in the excise policy, but the court granted them bail as the agencies could show no evidence.

“ED had first alleged a scam of ₹100 crore, then it settled to allege a scam of ₹30 crore, and finally, the court stated that there is absolutely no material evidence to even prove this. ED had accused Rajesh Joshi of translocating ₹30 crore to Goa through paper slips but it failed to prove any such activity in the court,” Atishi said.

Separately, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Now even the Court has said that there is no material evidence of any kickback or money laundering. We have been saying right from the beginning that the entire liquor scam is bogus and meant only to malign AAP.”

HT reached out to the ED, but officers with the central agency did not comment on the AAP’s allegations.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said that if the AAP is “fond of reading the court’s observations” to give “certificates of honesty”, then Atishi should also read what the court said about former deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

“While denying bail to Manish Sisodia on March 31, the court had observed that he is a prime accused and prima facie the architect of the criminal conspiracy in this case. If the chief minister believes in the court, why was he tongue-tied after that court order? They should stop giving certificates of honesty to themselves,” Khurana said.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “Atishi should understand that not only CBI, ED and BJP, but everyone in Delhi wants to know why the commission of wholesale liquor traders was increased from 2% to 12%, why liquor shops were opened in restricted areas, and why the liquor policy was withdrawn as soon as the investigation started.”