The Delhi-NCR govt implemented a new excise policy effective Nov 15, 2021. The government withdrew from liquor business, pushing the state’s liquor trade into the hands of private players.
Charges were levelled that the policy favoured select wholesalers who joined hands with manufacturers to reap windfall gains at the cost of the state exchequer.
In Aug 2022, CBI registered a case against Manish Sisodia and 14 others. Sisodia, as minister for finance and excise, was involved in the drafting and implementation of the new policy.
CBI and ED claim to have found that the policy favoured liquor traders who paid kickbacks to govt representatives.
The scam:
Nov 17, 2021: AAP govt implements new liquor policy
April 20, 2022: Chief secy Naresh Kumar examines policy and finds irregularities; sends a report to L-G VK Saxena
AUGUST 17: CBI registers a case against Manish Sisodia, who was in charge of finance and excise dept
AUGUST 19: CBI raids Sisodia’s office in Delhi-NCR
AUGUST 22: ED files a case
AUGUST 30: CBI searches bank lockers of Sisodia
NOVEMBER 16: Sisodia’s aide Dinesh Arora turns approver
NOVEMBER 30: ED arrests Sisodia’s close aide, Amit Arora; ED names K Kavitha
FEBRUARY 19: CBI calls Sisodia for questioning, but he seeks to defer citing he’s occupied with Budget
SEPTEMBER 17: CBI nabs AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair; ED arrests alcohol bizman Sameer Mahendru
JANUARY 6, 2023: ED in its chargesheet says Kejriwal has asked Sameer Mahendru to trust Nair over a video call
FEBRUARY 20: CBI summons and calls him on Feb 26
FEBRUARY 26, 2023: CBI arrests Sisodia
MARCH 9: ED arrests Sisodia
OCTOBER 4: Sanjay Singh held
MARCH 21, 2024: Kejriwal skips 9th ED summons; ED team reaches his residence and arrests him
Saga of summons
November 17, 2021: The AAP government implemented a new liquor policy, crafted based on recommendations from an expert committee chaired by the Excise Commissioner.
July 8, 2022: Delhi’s chief secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, outlining alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy for 2021-22.
July 22, 2022: Acting on the report, the Delhi LG recommended a CBI inquiry into the formulation and execution of the excise policy and tasked the chief secretary with investigating the involvement of officials.
July 30, 2022: Manish Sisodia, Deputy CM, announced the withdrawal of the excise policy, declaring that all private liquor shops would close on August 1, with only government-run outlets permitted to operate.
August 17, 2022: Following the L-G’s recommendation, the CBI initiated a case against 15 individuals, including former deputy CM Sisodia, regarding alleged irregularities in the excise policy.
August 19, 2022: Sisodia’s premises in Delhi were searched by the CBI, and the Enforcement Directorate also launched a separate money laundering investigation.
October 17, 2022: Sisodia underwent eight hours of questioning by the CBI.
November 25, 2022: The CBI filed charges against seven individuals.
February 26, 2023: Sisodia was arrested by the CBI after extensive questioning.
February 28, 2023: The Supreme Court declined Sisodia’s bail plea. Sisodia and his cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain resigned from Arvind Kejriwal’s cabinet.
March 9, 2023: ED arrests Sisodia after interrogating him for the second time. He is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail.
October 4, 2023: ED conducts searches at AAP RS MP Sanjay Singh’s house and took him into custody after questioning him for hours.
November 2, 2023: ED issues first summon to CM Arvind Kejriwal. He skips the first summon.
December 21, 2023: Kejriwal skips summon for the second time after leaving for an undisclosed location for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course.
January 3, 2024: Kejriwal skips summon for the third time.
January 18, 2024: Kejriwal skips summon for the fouth time, says he has sent a written response to the agency for his absence.
February 2, 2024: Kejriwal skips fifth ED summon, says it’s PM Modi’s plan to arrest Kejriwal.
February 19, 2024: Kejriwal skips sixth summon, says matter in court now.
February 26, 2024: Kejriwal skips seventh summon.
March 4, 2024: Kejriwal skips eighth summon, says ready to face summon virtually.
March 21, 2024: Delhi High Court rejects Kejriwal’s plea of protection from coercive action in the case.
March 21, 2024: ED reaches CM’s residence with search warrant, arrests him; AAP moves SC challenging the arrest
Other highlights--September 2022, AAP communications head Vijay Nair was arrested by the CBI.
March 15, 2024: Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha apprehended by the ED.
