Examining to make AAP accused: CBI, ED tell SC

New Delhi: In more trouble for the city's ruling AAP, the CBI and the ED told the Supreme Court on Monday they are contemplating making the party an accused in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the scrapped Delhi excise policy. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, representing the two probe agencies, told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti he has instructions to state that the agencies are considering making AAP an accused, invoking legal provisions on "vicarious liability" under the anti-corruption law and section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). "I want to make a statement I have received instructions to make.

We are contemplating making the Aam Aadmi Party an accused and invoking offences of vicarious liability under the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 70 of the PMLA," Raju told the court. However, the bench asked Raju to clarify his stand on Tuesday on whether there will be separate charges against the AAP in the cases being probed by the CBI and the ED. Raju said charges in corruption and money laundering cases will be different but for the same offence.

"Be careful and take specific instructions and tell us tomorrow on whether there will be same charge or different charge with respect to these cases," Justice Khanna told Raju. The ASG made the statement while the bench was hearing the bail pleas of AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested in the excise policy cases being probed by the CBI and ED. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has also been arrested in connection with the excise policy cases and is currently in jail.

The bench also asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, to answer legal questions on Tuesday on the CBI's allegation that change in excise policy led to a loss to the state exchequer.