Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot Reaches ED Office For Questioning In Excise Policy Case

Gahlot reached ED office in Delhi right after he was summoned for questioning.

Gahlot, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Najafgarh, is also the minister for transport, home and law in the Delhi government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has recently been arrested in the same case by the federal agency.

According to PTI, Gahlot has been asked to appear for questioning in the case and getting his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He is expected to be questioned with regard to the formulation of the policy as he was part of the Group of Ministers (GoM), along with former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and former urban development minister Satyendar Jain, on the preparation and implementation of the new liquor scheme for 2021-22.

The ED has also alleged in its chargesheet that Gahlot handled a single SIM number but his IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) was changed thrice.

The agency has mentioned Gahlot's name in its chargesheet and in the context of Vijay Nair, the AAP communications in-charge arrested earlier in the case, saying Nair lived in the government bungalow allotted to Gahlot, who "ironically" lives in Najafgarh in southwest Delhi.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) referred to the act of a public servant allowing someone else to use a government residence as a criminal breach of trust and requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take action.

The case in question involves allegations of corruption and money laundering in the development and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was ultimately cancelled.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI investigation into the suspected irregularities in the creation and implementation of the liquor policy. As a result, the ED filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case is related to the alleged involvement in corruption and money laundering in the development and implementation of the 2021-22 excise policy of the Delhi government, which was eventually scrapped.

Earlier, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, who are leaders of the AAP, were arrested by the ED in connection with this case and are currently in judicial custody along with CM Arvind Kejriwal.