The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unveiled serious allegations against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing the party of benefiting from illicit funds generated through a criminal conspiracy related to the Excise Policy case. According to the CBI, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who also serves as the national convenor and overall in-charge of AAP, played a central role in the alleged conspiracy surrounding the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy.
In its latest supplementary charge sheet, the CBI claims that Kejriwal was involved from the outset in a scheme to privatize the Excise Policy. The charge sheet alleges that Kejriwal sought monetary support for AAP as early as March 2021, during the policy’s development by the Group of Ministers (GoM) led by co-accused Manish Sisodia.
The CBI’s investigation reveals that Vijay Nair, a close associate of Kejriwal who was granted bail earlier this week by the Supreme Court, reportedly approached various stakeholders in the Delhi excise sector. Nair allegedly demanded illegal gratification in exchange for favorable adjustments to the Excise Policy. According to the CBI, Nair could not have taken such actions without Kejriwal’s authorization and direction.
Additionally, the CBI has criticized AAP’s financial transparency concerning the 2022 Goa Assembly Elections. The investigation alleges that AAP’s official statement on election expenditures is misleading, as it only documented payments made through bank transactions while omitting substantial cash payments made to vendors, assembly managers, booth in-charges, and volunteers. The CBI contends that illicit funds from the Excise Policy conspiracy were used to finance these election-related expenses.
The agency has also pointed to oral and documentary evidence indicating that AAP leader Durgesh Pathak, who oversaw the party’s operations for the Goa Assembly elections, managed these expenditures. Furthermore, Chanpreet Singh Rayat, who reportedly collected illicit funds through hawala channels in Goa, made cash payments under Pathak’s direction.
These allegations form part of a broader investigation into the AAP’s financial and operational conduct, raising serious questions about the integrity of the party’s practices and its adherence to legal and ethical standards.