A Delhi court, led by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, has taken cognisance of a chargesheet filed against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak, among others, in relation to a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The court has found sufficient evidence to proceed with the case.
During the proceedings on Tuesday, Judge Baweja issued a production warrant for Chief Minister Kejriwal and summoned MLA Durgesh Pathak to appear in court on September 11. The chargesheet also names Vinod Chauhan, Ashish Mathur, and Sarath Reddy as co-accused in the corruption allegations.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which submitted the supplementary chargesheet, stated that it had obtained necessary sanctions last month to prosecute Kejriwal and Pathak. These sanctions are a procedural requirement for initiating a legal action against public officials. The CBI had earlier received approval to investigate the accused, paving the way for this significant judicial development.
This case stems from accusations of irregularities and corrupt practices in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy. The specifics of the charges involve alleged manipulation and financial discrepancies aimed at benefitting certain stakeholders in the liquor business at the expense of public funds.
