Delhi excise policy case: AAP demands clarity on money trail from ED

AAP leaders have also raised questions about the links between the approver Sarath Chandra Reddy and the BJP, highlighting large donations made by the head of Aurobindo Pharma via electoral bonds

In the wake of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s recent arrest in the (now-scrapped) Delhi excise policy case, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to establish a money trail. The AAP also questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) connections with the accused-turned-approver Sarath Chandra Reddy.

Speaking at a press conference, AAP leader Atishi questioned the actions of ED and challenged the basis of Kejriwal’s arrest, saying no money trail has been established by the federal agency.

“In the so-called excise policy scam of Delhi, CBI and ED investigations have been going on for the past two years. In these two years, a question has come up again and again – where is the money trail? Where did the money go? No proceeds of crime were recovered from any leader, minister or worker of AAP…” Atishi said.

She said, instead there is a money trail in the electoral bonds link between Reddy and the BJP, and challenged the ED to arrest the BJP’s national president JP Nadda.

The AAP leader alleged that Kejriwal was arrested based only on the statement of Reddy. She further said that after being arrested, Reddy has changed his statement and the ED is basing the entire case on his words.

“Sarath Chandra Reddy was called for questioning on November 9, 2022. During the questioning, he said he never met Arvind Kejriwal and is not related to the AAP. However, he was arrested following this by the ED. After spending several months in prison, Sarath Chandra Reddy changed his statement, saying he had met Arvind Kejriwal. Following this, Sarath Chandra Reddy got bail,” she alleged.

The AAP leaders slammed the BJP for the recently released electoral bonds data and alleged a link between Reddy and the BJP via the bonds scheme. Accusing the BJP of extorting money through the electoral bonds scheme, Atishi said, “Sarath Chandra Reddy [is] the head of Aurobindo Pharma. He owns several other companies. Aurobindo Pharma and other subsidiaries of Reddy bought electoral bonds worth Rs 50 crore which the BJP encashed soon after”.

The recently released State Bank of India data on the electoral bonds revealed that Aurobindo Pharma Ltd donated Rs 34.5 crore to the BJP. The company’s other significant donations went to the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (Rs 15 crore) and Telugu Desam Party (Rs 2.5 crore).

The Aam Aadmi Party has planned protests for the next three days across Delhi. The party is organising a large-scale demonstration, with other members of the INDIA bloc, at Shahidi Park. On March 24, the party called for effigy burning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. Subsequently, on March 25, the party organised a ‘jan-samvad’, or public dialogue.