Page 2 - Excise Duty

Excise policy case: Court issues production warrant for Arvind Kejriwal

Special judge Kaveri Baweja has directed that Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal be physically produced in court on Friday, following the submission of the ED's seventh supplementary chargesheet

Excise policy case: CM Kejriwal moves Delhi HC against his arrest by CBI

The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Saturday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Judicial custody in connection with Excise policy case

Money laundering: ED files fresh chargesheet in Delhi excise policy case

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed a fresh and the ninth charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case naming a person called Vinod Chauhan as an accused, official sources said. Chauhan was arrested by the federal agency in May as part of this investigation. The sources said a fresh and the ninth prosecution complaint (charge sheet) was filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here naming Vinod Chauhan. He was the 18th person to have been arrested by the ED in this case in which it has also taken into custody Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, his party colleague and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, BRS leader and former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao's politician daughter K Kavitha and several liquor businessmen and others. The ED has mentioned the alleged role of Chauhan in this case in an official document submitted before a court in relation to t

Court sends Delhi CM Kejriwal to 3-day CBI custody in excise policy case

A court here on Wednesday sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to CBI custody for three days after the probe agency arrested him in a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Special Judge Amitabh Rawat passed the order on an application moved by the CBI. The probe agency formally arrested Kejriwal on Wednesday after getting permission from the court. The Aam Aadmi Party national convener is lodged in prison in an excise policy-linked money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Department (ED). "CBI application is allowed for three days," the judge said. In the application seeking Kejriwal's custody, the CBI told the court that he was required to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy in the matter. It also said that the Delhi chief minister was required to be confronted with evidence and other people accused in the case. Federal agencies had earlier claimed that a so-called "south lobby" dictated the formulation of the now-scrapped excise poli

Trial court didn't consider material properly: HC on Kejriwal bail order

The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court properly

Money laundering case: AAP to move SC against stay on Kejriwal's bail order

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said it disagrees with the Delhi High Court order staying the bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the trial court and will challenge it in the Supreme Court. The Delhi High Court earlier in the day stayed the trial court order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam in Delhi. A vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said the trial court failed to appreciate the material placed before it by the Enforcement Directorate and did not apply its mind while deciding the AAP leader's bail plea. The judge also said the trial court ought to have given adequate opportunity to the agency to argue its case. Reacting to the development, the AAP said they will approach the apex court. "We disagree with the Delhi High Court order. We will challenge it in the Supreme Court," the party said. The trial court had granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20 and ordered his release on a personal

Excise policy scam: Kejriwal moves SC against HC's stay on bail order

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's interim stay on a trial court's order granting him bail in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam. The high court on Friday paused the release of the embattled chief minister after the trial court granted him bail on June 20. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, could have walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday had the high court not granted the interim relief to the federal anti-money laundering agency. "Till the pronouncement of this order, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed," a vacation bench of the high court said and asked the parties to file written submissions by June 24. The high court said it was reserving the order for two-three days as it wanted to go through the entire case records. It also issued a notice to Kejriwal seeking his response to the ED's plea challenging

ED challenges order granting bail to Kejriwal, says not adequately heard

ED has challenged the order dated June 20, 2024, passed by Special Judge (Vacation Judge), Rouse Avenue District Courts that granted bail to Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal gets bail in liquor policy case

Delhi court grants bail to Kejriwal on bail bond of Rs 1 lakh

CBIC unveils new draft, set to replace 8-decade old central excise regime

At present, Central Excise is levied mainly on petroleum products. As a part of the pre-legislative consultative process, CBIC has sought stakeholders' comments by June 26

Excise scam: ED opposes Kavitha's bail plea, says release to affect probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday opposed in the Delhi High Court the bail plea of BRS leader K Kavitha in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, saying her release would adversely affect further investigation to unearth the "deep-rooted, multi-layered conspiracy". The ED, in its reply to Kavitha's bail plea, contended that the Telangana lawmaker is a "highly influential" individual and stands accused of having committed a grave economic offence. She has the potential to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses, it said. K Kavitha has conspired with other people and actively involved in payment of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore and then in establishing the money laundering ecosystem, that is, M/s Indo Spirits through her proxy which generated proceeds of crime of Rs 192.8 crore. By such acts, K Kavitha is involved in various processes and activities relating to proceeds of crime (POC) to the tune of Rs 292.8 crore, the probe agency said

Excise case: Court to consider ED chargesheet against Kavitha on May 14

A Delhi court is likely to consider on Tuesday a fresh charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case naming BRS leader K Kavitha and four others as accused. Special Judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who was likely to take up the charge sheet for cognisance on Monday, adjourned the matter for May 14. The ED on Friday filed the nearly 200-page prosecution complaint (charge sheet) along with annexures under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Kavitha, an MLC of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, three employees of a company that handled AAP's Goa campaign (Chariot Productions Media Pvt Ltd) -- Damodar Sharma, Prince Kumar and Chanpreet Singh -- and a former employee of India Ahead news channel Arvind Singh have been named as accused in the latest charge sheet, sources said. The federal agency had arrested 46-year-old Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K ...

'Electioneering not fundamental right': ED opposes interim bail to Kejriwal

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday opposed in the Supreme Court the grant of interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, saying the right to campaign in elections is neither fundamental nor constitutional. In a fresh affidavit filed in the top court, the ED said no political leader has ever been granted interim bail for campaigning even if he is not contesting polls. "It is relevant to note that the right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right," the agency said. It added that to its knowledge, "no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate. Even a contesting candidate is not granted interim bail if he is in custody for his own campaigning". On Wednesday, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who headed the bench that heard Kejriwal's petition against his arrest in the case

Don't want Kejriwal performing CM's duties if released on interim bail: SC

The Supreme Court said on Tuesday it doesn't want Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to discharge his official duties if he is released on interim bail in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam as it would lead to a conflict of interest. Kejriwal failed to get any relief from the top court, with a two-judge bench rising without pronouncing an order granting him interim bail to enable him to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, which reserved its verdict on the question of interim bail, said allowing Kejriwal to attend his office may have a "cascading effect". "Suppose we grant you interim bail on account of elections. Then if you say you will attend office, it may have a cascading effect. If we give you interim bail, we don't want you to perform official duties as somewhere it will

Excise scam case: Court extends Kavitha's judicial custody till May 14

A Delhi court on Tuesday extended till May 14 the judicial custody of BRS leader K Kavitha in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam. Special judge for CBI and ED matters Kaveri Baweja extended the custody of the Telangana MLC after she was produced before the court on expiry of her remand. During the proceedings, the Enforcement Directorate told the court the investigation was at a crucial stage and it may file a charge sheet against Kavitha within a week.

Excise policy scam: Court sends K Kavitha to judicial custody till April 23

A Delhi court on Monday sent BRS leader K Kavitha, arrested in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, to judicial custody till April 23. The daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao was arrested from the Tihar Jail, where she was lodged after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The CBI produced the accused before the court on expiry of her three-day police custody granted earlier by the judge and sought her JC. The CBI told the court that she was not required for further custodial interrogation. Advocate Nitesh Rana, representing Kavitha along with Deepak Nagar, opposed the police plea, saying the grounds were not sufficient to keep her in custody since she is no longer required for custodial interrogation. CBI officials had recently questioned Kavitha inside prison after obtaining permission from a special court. The BRS leader was questioned about the WhatsApp chats recovered from co-accused Buchi Babu

Arrest legal, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to remain in jail: Delhi High Court

Court says material collected by ED reveals CM 'conspired', 'used proceeds of crime'

HC to pronounce on Tuesday verdict on CM Kejriwal's plea challenging arrest

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to deliver on Tuesday its verdict on a plea by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody in a money laundering case linked with the alleged excise scam, challenging his arrest. As per the cause list uploaded on the high court's website, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma will pronounce the order at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Besides his arrest, Kejriwal has also challenged his subsequent remand in the Enforcement Directorate's custody. He was later remanded in judicial custody and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The AAP national convener has questioned the "timing" of his arrest by the agency and said it was in contravention of the basic structure of the Constitution, including democracy, free and fair elections and level playing field. The ED has opposed the plea and contended that Kejriwal cannot claim "immunity" from arrest on the ground of upcoming elections as law is applied equally to him and an "aam aadmi". Kejriwal was arrested by

Excise policy case: ED questions Kejriwal's PA, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal assistant Bibhav Kumar and AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak in the excise policy-linked money laundering case, officials said. Their statement is being recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. Both of them have been questioned in this case earlier too by the ED. Sources said Kumar's questioning was essential in connection with the engagements of Kejriwal. The 55-year-old CM, also the national convenor of the AAP, was arrested by the ED in this case last month. He is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail under judicial custody. The agency had alleged in its earlier charge sheets that at least 36 accused, including former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Kumar, "destroyed, used or changed" 170 phones to conceal evidence of "kickbacks" worth thousands of crores of rupees in the alleged scam. The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identi

Sisodia writes letter from Tihar Jail, says 'Will meet you soon outside'

AAP leader Manish Sisodia has written a letter from Tihar Jail to the people of his assembly constituency, comparing his plight with the atrocities committed by the Britishers against freedom fighters and asserting his commitment to education. The former deputy chief minister, who has been arrested in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case, also expressed hope that he will be out of jail soon. "Will meet you soon outside. The British rulers had also arrogance of power and they sent people to jail in false cases," he said and added that Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who spent many years in jail, were his inspiration. Sisodia's bail hearing is scheduled in a Delhi court on Saturday. In the letter to people of his assembly constituency Patparganj in east Delhi, Sisodia, said a struggle for good education and schools is underway like people fought for freedom of the country. "Education revolution Zindabad. Love you all," Sisodia, who also served as education minister i