Synopsis
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to begin arguments on framing charges against Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and others in March regarding the Delhi excise case. Currently, the agency is completing procedures to provide required documents to the accused as per Section 207 of CrPC.
ANINew Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to commence arguments on framing of charges against Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and the other co-accused booked by the agency in the Delhi excise case, people in the know said.
The agency is likely to commence its arguments in March in a bid to kickstart the trial. While the Vidhan Sabha elections for the capital are slated next month, the trial in the high-profile case hasn’t yet started.
The CBI is currently completing the proceedings under Section 207 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which requires that the accused be provided with certain documents used by the prosecution to buttress its case against the accused.
People quoted above said that some of the accused have alleged that there are “deficiencies” in the evidence maintained by the CBI. Some of the accused have sought copies of the notices sent by the agency summoning accused and witnesses in the case for questioning. Some of the accused have contended that the CBI has not served the copies of the notices sent by it at the time of investigation.
On the other hand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing money laundering charges in the alleged Delhi excise scandal, has petitioned the Delhi High Court against an order of the lower court directing the agency to furnish all documents including those not relied upon by the agency.
The said documents (not relied upon by the agency) runs into lakhs of pages. Interestingly, some of the co-accused (booked by ED) have moved the court complaining that the ED has supplied documents pertaining to them and their entities to other accused.
In one instance, a liquor manufacturing company (co-accused) has moved the court alleging that documents pertaining to the company seized by ED cannot be shared with other accused since they (documents) contain crucial information about the company.
Both CBI and ED have completed their investigation in the case and filed their respective charge sheets against Kejriwal, Sisodia and co-accused. After completing proceedings under Section 207 of CrpC (supply of documents), the CBI will attempt to commence the arguments on framing of charges against the accused in March so that the trial can be started.
In a first, in May 2024, the ED filed a charge sheet against AAP as an accused under relevant sections of PMLA. AAP became the first political party to have been accused under anti-money laundering laws. The ED invoked Section 70 (1) of PMLA to implead AAP as an accused. It will be significant to observe whether the court decides to charge AAP as an accused and start a trial against it.
Kejriwal, Sisodia have repeatedly denied the charges levelled against them calling the case against them politically motivated.
It might be mentioned here that the Supreme Court, while ordering release of the accused in the Delhi excise case, had recorded that the trial had not commenced. While granting bail to Kejriwal on September 13, the top court had slammed the CBI.
