National

Arvind Kejriwal Sent To ED Custody Till March 28

March 22, 2024
Bharat Times English News

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal sent to 6-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore liquor policy scam.

Kejriwal will be produced before court again on March 28 at 2 PM.

Following the court’s directive, Kejriwal’s lawyer, Madan Lal, revealed that the investigative agency sought a 10-day remand. The ED justified this, citing the need for custodial investigation to trace the money trail. Ultimately, the judge granted a six-day custodial remand to the Delhi Chief Minister after careful consideration of all factors. ED contended that the funds utilized for the Goa elections were obtained unlawfully, supported by statements from witnesses validating this assertion.

During proceedings at the Rouse Avenue court, the ED informed Special Judge Kaveri Baweja that Kejriwal had allegedly received substantial kickbacks from the ‘South group’ in exchange for formulating and executing the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

Additionally, it was revealed that the accused had purportedly demanded Rs 100 crore from certain individuals within the ‘South group’ for election purposes. This information was provided by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the federal anti-money laundering agency.

According to the law officer, investigations revealed that Rs 45 crore, identified as “kickback” funds used during the Goa assembly elections, had been routed through four hawala channels. The authenticity of these claims has been supported by statements from both the accused and witnesses, as well as corroborated by Call Detail Records (CDR).

Kejriwal’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi repealed the ED’s plea of judicial custody and submitted the initial documents that are important for the process. He stated that the necessity of arrest and Power of arrest are totally two different things.

Singhvi told the court that the arrest made by the investigative agency is for the non-cooperation.  He said that the ED is already in possession of all the necessary documents/ information related to the case and summoning him (Delhi CM) ‘in person’ is a ploy to illegally arrest him and the present matter is a clear case of malice.

However, a former law officer in Delhi’s Tihar Jail told NDTV that as per the rules of the Tihar Jail, an inmate can only hold two meetings in a week which will be the major roadblock for Delhi CM Kejriwal in carrying out his responsibilities as chief minister.

The AAP on Friday also called for a nationwide protest against the arrest of the party national convener Kejriwal terming it as ‘illegal’.

Additionally, Delhi Police heightened security in the national capital on Friday following the arrest of CM Kejriwal. In view of the surging AAP workers’ protest, police have also imposed section 144 in the city.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal Withdraws Petition Against Arrest In Supreme Court

Soon after the arrest, Delhi minister Atishi stated that CM Kejriwal will run the government of the national capital from jail itself. “Kejriwal is, was, and always will be the CM of Delhi and leader of the party”, she said.

Several party workers were also detained by the Delhi Police as they staged a protest outside the CM’s residence during the ED’s procedure.

On Thursday night, Delhi CM Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore liquor scam amid high drama involving multi-layered security forces and Party supporters protesting outside the CM residence against the investigative agency procedures.

The action came following Delhi CM skipped a total of nine ED summons related to the now scrapped exercise police case.

At the same time, two leaders from the AAP, namely Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are presently in judicial custody related to the liquor scam. Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 of the previous year, while Singh, a member of the Rajya Sabha, was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 5.

Also read: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal In PMLA Court, ED Seeks 10-Day Judicial Custody