ED reveals chats between Kejriwal and 'hawala operators' in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) disclosed on Friday the discovery of conversations between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and alleged "hawala operators," pertaining to the purported proceeds of crime in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy.According to the agency, these exchanges were unearthed from the devices of hawala operators after Kejriwal declined to divulge the passwords to his own devices.

The revelation came to light during a hearing on Kejriwal's petition challenging the legitimacy of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the case.During the hearing, a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta heard arguments from senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi representing Kejriwal and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju representing the Enforcement Directorate.

Following the arguments, the bench reserved its judgment, with a directive allowing Kejriwal to seek bail from the trial court, "in accordance with law."Kejriwal, who was taken into custody on March 21 in relation to the money laundering case, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court from May 10 to June 1 for election campaigning during the Lok Sabha elections. However, the apex court has instructed him to surrender on June 2.In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet against Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) regarding alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. This marks the first instance of a political party being named as an accused in a charge sheet.An official familiar with the matter stated, "A detailed prosecution complaint (charge sheet) has been filed based on irrefutable evidence, indicating that Kejriwal is the primary conspirator who exploited his position as the CM of Delhi to facilitate the offense of money laundering, punishable under Section 4 of PMLA." 

The official further elaborated that AAP has been implicated under PMLA as it was a significant beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated through the excise policy."At least Rs. 45 crore out of Rs. 100 crore in bribes, received in exchange for favoring certain liquor traders, was utilized for AAP's campaign in Goa and, as the national convenor and member of the party's national executive, Kejriwal bears ultimate responsibility for the utilization and generation of funds," added the official.This charge sheet marks the eighth filing by the ED under PMLA in the excise case since November 2022.