Delhi's minister and prominent figure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kailash Gahlot, made an appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday. This was part of the ongoing investigation into a money-laundering case related to the now-defunct excise policy in the capital, according to officials.
Gahlot, aged 49, represents the Najafgarh constituency and serves as the minister for transport, home, and law in the Delhi government under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who himself has been apprehended by the federal agency in connection with this case.
Witnesses observed Gahlot arriving at the ED office in central Delhi at approximately 11:30 am.
Sources indicate that Gahlot has been summoned for interrogation and to provide his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The focus of the questioning is expected to revolve around the formulation of the policy, given his involvement in the Group of Ministers (GoM) alongside former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and former urban development minister Satyendar Jain, tasked with the development and implementation of the liquor scheme for 2021-22.
The ED has alleged that the excise policy was leaked to a liquor lobby known as the "South Group," which allegedly included K Kavitha, a leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The agency claims that this group provided kickbacks amounting to Rs 100 crore to the AAP and its leaders.
Furthermore, the ED has accused Gahlot of managing a single SIM number while his international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) was changed three times.
Gahlot's name has been mentioned in the chargesheet alongside Vijay Nair, the AAP's communications in-charge previously arrested in the case. The agency highlighted that Nair resided in the government bungalow allotted to Gahlot, who resides in Najafgarh, southwest Delhi.
The ED condemned this practice of allowing a government residence to be used by someone else, labeling it a "criminal breach of trust," and has sought intervention from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The excise case centers on allegations of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was subsequently annulled.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI inquiry into purported irregularities in the formulation and execution of the liquor policy. Consequently, the ED initiated a case under the PMLA.
Earlier, AAP leaders Sisodia and Sanjay Singh were apprehended by the ED in connection with the case and are currently in judicial custody. The AAP and its leaders have consistently refuted allegations of misconduct, with Kejriwal asserting that the case was concocted by the BJP-led Centre to portray the AAP as corrupt.
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