Guwahati: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has been cited by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy case. The investigation agency has named Raghav Chada in a supplemental charge sheet, but not as an accuser.
The charge sheet read, “…At Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s residence, there was a meeting of Raghav Chadha, ACS Finance of Punjab Govt, Excise Commissioner, Varun Roojam, FCT and officers from Punjab Excise where Vijay Nair was also present.”
The ED has levelled major allegations against Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia. According to the Enforcement Directorate, Raghav Chadha attended a meeting at Manish Sisodia’s house where businesses and a proposal to implement the now-scrapped liquor policy were in discussion.
The AAP has been accused of favouring specific liquor traders who allegedly paid bribes for obtaining licenses under the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22. However, the AAP has strongly denied these allegations.
Sisodia was taken into custody for 14 days in judicial custody on 6 March after being arrested by the CBI on February 26 in connection with the liquor policy case. Earlier in the case, the ED conducted another arrest and detained Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai. The ED submitted its initial chargesheet in the case last year. The agency claimed that since a FIR was filed, taking into account the CBI case initiated on the advice of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, it has so far conducted approximately 200 search operations in this case.