Arvind Kejriwal arrested: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) that arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the Aam Aadmi Party leader of being the kingpin in the excise policy case. On the other hand, BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested by the central agency in Hyderabad in connection with the matter. She is in custody till March 23.
According to the ED, K Kavitha conspired with top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia to get favours in the excise policy case by paying Rs 100 crore to AAP.
The ED claimed in a statement that Kavitha was "one of the kingpins, a key conspirator and beneficiary of the Delhi excise policy scam". The BRS leader "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 for these favours, she was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to the leaders of AAP," the agency said.
A continuous stream of illegal funds in the form of kickback from the wholesalers was generated for AAP through acts of ‘corruption and conspiracy’, the agency said. It alleged "Kavitha and her associates were to recover the proceeds of crime paid in advance to AAP and to further generate profits/proceeds of crime from this entire conspiracy."
Kavitha has maintained her innocence and said that she has done nothing wrong. She accused BJP of using ED to gain a "backdoor entry" into Telangana.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the ED stated that Kejriwal was the kingpin and was directly involved in the framing of the excise policy. "The policy (excise) was made in such a manner that it enabled the taking of bribes," the ED told the court.
The agency also said that Kejriwal was also involved in the handling of the proceeds of crime, which were used for campaigning in the Goa elections.
The ED accused Kejriwal of demanding kickbacks from the ‘South group’ in exchange for favours. The ‘South group’ in reference includes YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MSR), his son Magunta Raghava Reddy, and BRS MLC K Kavitha, represented by businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai, along with Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally, chartered accountant Butchibabu Gorantla, and leading pharma company director P Sarath Candra Reddy.
According to the agency’s charge sheet against businessman Sameer Mahendru and AAP’s communication-in-charge Vijay Nair, they plotted with the ‘South group’.
In exchange for the kickbacks demanded by Kejriwal, the ‘South group’ got control of the liquor business in Delhi. The ED said that Vijay Nair acted as the middle man between the group and AAP.
Moreover, Additional Solicitor General ASV Raju appearing for the ED said that the proceeds of the crime were not only limited to Rs 100 crore. "Proceeds of crime is not only the Rs 100 crore bribe received, but also the profits made by the bribe payers, amounting to Rs 600 crore," ASV Raju said