The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed to have substantiated the money trail related to the alleged Rs 45 crore kickbacks stemming from the Delhi excise policy “scam.” This money was purportedly utilized for the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) 2022 election campaign in Goa, as per documents submitted in court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax department, in their separate investigations, have also reportedly corroborated this assertion.
The ED’s probe into the matter involves examining a network of Hawala operators and ‘Angadiyas’, informal courier and banking services often used in sectors like diamonds and jewelry to bypass formal banking channels and evade taxes. The agency has detained several prominent individuals, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging their involvement in laundering these funds for political gain.
According to the ED’s investigation details shared with a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, the AAP engaged Chariot Productions Media Pvt. Ltd. for its election campaign in Goa. It was revealed that several vendors associated with Chariot Productions were paid partly in cash, with some payments allegedly routed through Hawala channels.
Statements from individuals involved in these transactions, including ‘Angadiya’ operators, have been recorded by the ED to establish the money trail. The agency asserts that approximately Rs 45 crore was transferred through Hawala to Goa, a claim purportedly supported by evidence seized during Income Tax raids on an ‘Angadiya’ firm’s office.
The alleged scam revolves around Rs 100 crore in bribes reportedly given by the ‘South Group’ of politicians and liquor businessmen to AAP and its leaders, enabling them to gain a foothold in the Delhi liquor market. The ED alleges that a portion of this money, Rs 45 crore, was diverted to fund AAP’s election campaign in Goa.
The AAP has consistently denied these allegations, with Kejriwal accusing the ruling BJP-led government of fabricating the case to tarnish the party’s image. Despite the denials, the ED maintains that Kejriwal and AAP are liable to be prosecuted under the anti-money laundering law, considering AAP as akin to a company under the law.
In addition to the alleged Rs 45 crore, the ED claims to have traced another Rs 25 crore allegedly transferred through Hawala by Raghav Magunta, son of Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, to K Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and her associates in Chennai. This forms part of the broader investigation into the ‘South Group’ implicated in the scandal.
The ED may seek to attach assets of the AAP equivalent to the alleged proceeds of the scam. However, the AAP contends that statements of individuals involved in the case were manipulated to implicate Kejriwal and hinder the party’s electoral prospects.
Overall, the case remains contentious, with legal battles ongoing as both sides present their arguments before the courts.
