Arvind Kejriwal Refuses to Appear Before ED in Liquor Mafia Case. But Why?
Arvind Kejriwal Refuses to Appear Before ED in Liquor Mafia Case. But Why?
The possibility cannot be ruled out that the ill-gotten money in the liquor scandal or other scams in which AAP politicians are allegedly involved is hidden at Kejriwal’s fortress-like house which is guarded comprehensively.
By Rakesh Raman
Delhi chief minister (CM) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has defied the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons which called him for questioning in the liquor scam case.
In a letter sent to the ED today (November 2), Kejriwal said that the ED’s action is politically motivated and taken at the behest of the ruling party at the Centre (that is, the Modi government).
Among the random reasons to circumvent the ED’s call, Kejriwal also said that he has to lead campaigns in different states where elections are soon going to take place and urged the ED to take its summons back.
However, Kejriwal did not dispute his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor scandal in which a couple of his colleagues – including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh – are already in jail.
While rejecting the bail application of Sisodia on October 30, the Supreme Court said there is a possible embezzlement of Rs. 338 crore in the liquor scam case. But the embezzled money has not yet been recovered.
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The possibility cannot be ruled out that the ill-gotten money in the liquor scandal or other scams in which AAP politicians are allegedly involved is hidden at Kejriwal’s fortress-like house which is guarded comprehensively.
So far, Kejriwal has not provided access to his house to the investigating agencies. But if Kejriwal is arrested and jailed like his other colleagues, it will be easier for ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to search his house to recover the corruption money.
Therefore, Kejriwal is making all sorts of excuses to defy the calls of the agencies which may arrest him immediately after his interrogation, as there is sufficient circumstantial and direct evidence of Kejriwal’s involvement in the liquor scandal and other financial crimes.
Along with Kejriwal, the other AAP politicians whose names appear in the investigating reports of CBI and the ED are Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Raghav Chadha.
Jain, Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh have already been jailed for their acts of corruption. It is expected that an AAP woman politician who loudly spreads lies in the so-called press conferences will soon be called for interrogation by the law-enforcement agencies.
Similarly, AAP politicians in Punjab led by CM Bhagwant Mann may be arrested and jailed as Sisodia’s dubious Delhi liquor policy is being implemented in Punjab also. The president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Sukhbir Singh Badal has urged the Punjab Governor to hold a probe into the alleged Rs. 500-crore liquor policy scam committed by the AAP government in the state.
It is learnt that the investigating agencies have already started questioning some of the Punjab Government functionaries and AAP leaders to know the extent of corruption in the Punjab liquor scandal.
While AAP politicians are apparently involved in multiple corruption scandals, it is expected that some of them named above will soon be behind bars.
A few days ago, the CBI launched a preliminary inquiry into alleged irregularities in the construction and renovation of Kejriwal’s house on which the public money in excess of Rs. 45 crore has been squandered. It is a case of misappropriation of public money – which is a serious financial crime allegedly committed by Kejriwal.
Although Kejriwal has refused to obey the ED order, he will not be able to escape for long as the legal noose is tightening around his neck.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He has also been publishing The Integrity Bulletin news magazine since 2018 to cover local and international corruption issues to engage with different stakeholders who are trying to combat corruption in the world.
