According to reports cited by India Today, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is planning to include the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a defendant in a new chargesheet over the purported Delhi liquor policy Scam.

Delhi Liquor Policy Scam

Since this is the first time a national party has been named as an accused in a corruption case, it represents a significant breakthrough. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, is also anticipated to be named as an accused for the first time in this chargesheet by the central investigative agency, which would claim that he was a major conspirator and the "kingpin" in the Delhi liquor policy Scam.

According to the ED, it has discovered a financial trail that connects to Kejriwal. The FBI had told a Delhi court that the AAP spent Rs 45 crore in payments that it had received to run for the Goa Assembly in 2022.

Supreme Court Hearing and Expected Chargesheet

India Today reports that after today's Supreme Court hearing on Kejriwal's temporary release, the ED is expected to file the chargesheet. If the hearing goes into the next day, the chargesheet should be filed the next day. Within two months following an accused person's arrest, the agency is required to file a chargesheet against them.

Delhi Liquor Policy Scam

On May 21, Kejriwal, who was placed under judicial prison on March 21 in relation to the Delhi liquor policy Scam case, will have spent two months in custody.

In the Delhi liquor policy Scam, if the chargesheet is filed, it will be the ED's seventh filing of that kind. 18 people have been arrested by the agency so far; among them are AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Notably, last month, Singh was given bail.

The ED recently challenged Kejriwal's request for temporary bail in the Supreme Court by filing an affidavit. According to the organisation, running for office is neither a fundamental nor a constitutional right. AAP responded by filing a case with the Supreme Court registry, denouncing the ED's affidavit as flagrantly breaking the law.

The agency was accused by the ruling party in Delhi of presenting the affidavit one day prior to the ultimate finding on Kejriwal's provisional bail, without the top court's sanction.

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