In response to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) money laundering case, which is associated with the Delhi liquor policy fraud, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Friday, July 12.
A two-judge bench consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard the case. The top court observed that the AAP chief mentioned certain legal issues in his bail request, which a larger bench should address.
The Judges thereafter released Arvind Kejriwal on an interim bail. “Given that right to life is concerned and since matter is referred to larger bench, we direct Arvind Kejriwal to be released on interim bail,” the Supreme Court stated.
It is important to note that the AAP chief was given bail in the Enforcement Directorate case. He is detained because of the complaint that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed. That’s why he will stay behind bars.
On March 21 of this year, Arvind Kejriwal was placed under custody; on June 1st, he was granted release. As soon as the bail period ended, he returned to Tihar jail.
Delhi Liquor Policy Scam
The Delhi Excise Policy 2021–2022, which has been clarified in ten easy points, is at the centre of the dispute.
- Though it was first proposed in September 2020, the liquor policy wasn’t implemented until November 2021.
- It altered the way that alcohol was distributed around the nation’s capital. highlighted the entry of private companies into the market and the departure of state-owned spirits sellers.
There were to be 27 private merchants operating in each of Delhi’s 32 zones. There were two to three booze merchants in each municipal ward. - The Delhi Cabinet was also presented with proposals that included allowing spirits dealers to give infinite discounts, delivering alcohol to homes and opening stores till three in the morning.
- The significant policy shift increased government revenue to ₹8900 crores, a 27% rise. It also signified the Delhi government’s total withdrawal from the alcoholic beverage industry.
- Excise Policy 2021–2022 was designed to combat black marketing and the liquor mafia; nevertheless, charges of corruption quickly brought criticism to the Delhi government.
- Naresh Kumar, the chief secretary of Delhi, discovered anomalies and inconsistencies in the recently implemented alcohol regulation. Based on Naresh Kumar’s proposal, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena approved a CBI investigation.
- In light of the coronavirus outbreak, Manish Sisodia discounted the licence cost of 144.36 crores that private spirits dealers were required to pay. incurred a loss for the Excise Department, however, the 50 import pass cost per beer case was waived for liquor licence holders.
- The Transaction of Business Rules of 1993 and the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 forbid all of these modifications because the Lieutenant Governor ultimately did not approve them.
- In July 2022, the Delhi government therefore reversed course on its new excise policy. A month later, Manish Sisodia, the former CEO of Only Much Louder (OML), Vijay Nair, and thirteen other people were charged with offences related to the execution of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021–2022, by the CBI.