Like Delhi, CBI Wants to Investigate Punjab Liquor Scandal
Like Delhi, CBI Wants to Investigate Punjab Liquor Scandal
Since the AAP government led by CM Bhagwant Mann also used the Delhi liquor policy, CBI wants to investigate the Punjab case as well.
By Rakesh Raman
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – which is probing the massive Delhi liquor scam – has desired to hold similar investigations in Punjab because the dubious Delhi liquor (or excise) policy has been implemented in Punjab also.
Delhi chief minister (CM) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has been in jail for the past about five months for his alleged involvement in Delhi liquor mafia case. A number of other AAP politicians were also jailed in this case, but they have been released on bail while the case is underway.
During a bail hearing of Kejriwal on September 5, the CBI – through its advocate – claimed that the Delhi liquor scandal has a connection with Punjab where AAP is running the government.
The CBI also alleged that Kejriwal’s party is arm-twisting liquor businesses in Punjab to pay bribes if they have to stay in the liquor trade. The central agency also maintains that Kejriwal and AAP used bribe money to contest the 2022 Goa Assembly election.
Since the AAP government led by CM Bhagwant Mann also used the Delhi liquor policy, CBI wants to investigate the Punjab case as well. However, the CBI complained in the Supreme Court that Kejriwal is influencing the Punjab Government to obstruct a CBI probe in the state.
In March 2024, a former Punjab Congress leader Ravneet Singh Bittu – who is now in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – had asserted that Bhagwant Mann will soon be arrested because he implemented the liquor policy that led to the imprisonment of several AAP leaders in Delhi.
In his video messages released on March 22, 2024 in Hindi and Punjabi languages, Bittu said that a few Punjab AAP politicians including Bhagwant Mann are involved in Punjab liquor scandal and they will be arrested.
In the ongoing liquor mafia case, Kejriwal’s other colleagues – including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh – were also jailed. In October last year, while rejecting the bail application of Sisodia, 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.
VIDEOS IN PUNJABI
[ ਕੀ 2027 ‘ਚ ਨਵਜੋਤ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਹੋਣਗੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਅਗਲੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ? ]
[ ਕੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਨੂੰ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਤਬਾਹ ਕਰਨ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਬਾਦਲ ਜਾਣਗੇ? ]
[ ਐਮਪੀ MP ਬਣਨ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਕੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਹਰ ਆ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ? ]
[ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਵਾਂਗ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਮਾਨ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸ਼ਰਾਬ ਘੋਟਾਲੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਲਈ CBI ਸੀ.ਬੀ.ਆਈ. ਤਿਆਰ ]
Along with Kejriwal, the other AAP politicians whose names appear in the investigating reports of CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Raghav Chadha.
In his videos, the Punjab leader Bittu said that AAP politician Raghav Chadha, who was adopted by Kejriwal as his son, is absconding after looting Punjab’s money which needs to be recovered.
In fact, Bittu is not alone who is complaining about massive corruption – including liquor scam – in Punjab. It is believed that a few Punjab AAP politicians led by CM Bhagwant Mann may be arrested and jailed as Kejriwal’s shady Delhi liquor policy is being implemented in Punjab also.
In November last year, a Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu filed a complaint to the Punjab Governor against the Punjab Government led by Bhagwant Mann.
In his complaint letter, Sidhu raised concerns over the precarious financial situation in Punjab, deteriorating law and order in the state, and lack of accountability in the Bhagwant Mann government.
Moreover, the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Sukhbir Singh Badal also 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.
In September last year, 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.
Moreover, reports suggest that the ED dragnet will soon extend to more AAP leaders including Atishi, Raghav Chadha, Saurabh Bhardwaj, and Durgesh Pathak. Some of these names are already in the files of the ED or the CBI.
Also, on April 2, the ED accused AAP leaders of bribery and corruption in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) scam, claiming that AAP used the corruption money as election funds. And, in May, Delhi LG V. K. Saxena ordered a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate Kejriwal’s links with terror outfits.
Since a number of AAP politicians in Punjab and Delhi are allegedly involved in a series of financial crimes, in May 2024, the ED named the entire Aam Aadmi Party as accused in the liquor scam.
Now to mislead the public, Kejriwal, his wife, and AAP politicians are falsely blaming PM Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Kejriwal’s imprisonment.
While courts believe that Kejriwal has a distinct role in Delhi liquor scandal and other crimes, the dishonest AAP leaders are holding protests against Modi and BJP with the help of unknown people who are believed to be hired for protests.
Moreover, it appears that Kejriwal is also paying crores of rupees of public money to some greedy lawyers who try to protect him and other AAP leaders unscrupulously in courts.
The bail cases of Kejriwal or other AAP leaders are listed so frequently in Indian courts that it appears all the courts are working only to decide AAP cases and the bails for the party’s leaders.
Since Kejriwal is not supposed to spend public money to defend AAP corruption cases, it is a form of corruption that Kejriwal commits in collusion with dishonest lawyers – particularly who belong to the Congress party.
In May 2024, I filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to know the amount of money being paid for legal services to protect Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in courts. I have not yet received the response.
With their apparent involvement in a number of crime and corruption cases, it will be a travesty of justice if Kejriwal or any of his jailed AAP colleagues are released on bail for the next few years.
In fact, if the courts and investigating agencies probe all the cases diligently, it is possible that Kejriwal and many other AAP leaders will have to spend their remaining lives in jail.
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.
