The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday expressed concern before the Delhi High Court that the adverse observations made against it by a trial court while discharging 23 accused in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) case on the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam could be used by the accused before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) appellate tribunal.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju expressed the apprehension while urging the Delhi High Court to decide on the ED’s plea seeking expungement and deletion of the trial court’s adverse remarks against it.
The high court had sought a response from the 23 accused in the case, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, on March 10. However, no response has been filed so far, and the counsels for the accused sought further time.
Opposing the request, Raju told Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, “May I only submit this…if the (ED’s) application (seeking expungement and deletion of adverse remarks in the trial court’s order) is allowed (by the Delhi HC) nothing is going to happen to their discharge…my petition has nothing to do with them.”
Raju further went on to add, “As far as observations (in the trial court order against ED), let the same not be relied on (by the accused). There are proceedings for assessment…in appellate tribunal they are going to rely on these observations.”
Justice Sharma, however, opined that she will allow the accused’s responses to come on record, orally remarking, “…if they want to say something, let them say it…”.
The court gave the 23 discharged accused time till April 2 to file their responses, and added that on April 2, the court will fix a hearing date.
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While the 23 accused have been discharged from the CBI case by a trial court last month, the ED case accusing them of money laundering in relation to the alleged liquor policy scam is pending before a trial court. The CBI’s challenge against the discharge order is pending before the Delhi High Court.
The ED has objected to 18 paragraphs in the trial court’s nearly 600-page verdict. These include instances where the trial court observed: “… When such allegations are sought to be re-characterised or ‘dressed up’ as CBI cases or PMLA proceedings, an additional and more serious constitutional concern arises,” and “If investigative agencies such as the CBI or enforcement authorities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) were permitted to enter the electoral arena merely on allegations of ‘cash spending’, ‘illegal funding’, or ‘unaccounted expenditure’, the inevitable consequence would be the criminalisation of electoral competition.”
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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