Rama Krishna Sangem
After failing to secure any judicial relief, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on March 22 Friday remanded in six-day Enforcement Directorate custody ending March 28 by a local court, a day after the probe agency arrested him in connection with the excise policy case.
The central agency, which had arrested Kejriwal on Thursday evening, produced him before the Delhi court at 2pm on Friday, where it described him as “the kingpin and key conspirator” in the alleged liquor scam case and sought a 10-day custody.
Special Judge Kaveri Baweja at the Rouse Avenue court granted a six-day custody, and asked the agency to produce Kejriwal before the court on March 28, at 2pm.
During the hearing, the ED claimed that the AAP was a “major beneficiary” of the proceeds of crimes generated from the alleged liquor scam. It claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 — which was scrapped last year. The agency also alleged that Kejriwal got kickbacks from “South group” for formulating and implementing the excise policy.
Kejriwal demanded Rs 100 cr from South Group
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who appeared for the ED, told the court that Kejriwal demanded Rs 100 crore from the “South group” for contesting the Punjab elections. He said the AAP is not an individual but a company, and every person responsible for the conduct of the company will be held responsible.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who was representing Kejriwal, said this is the first time in the history of India that a sitting chief minister has been arrested. The power of arrest is not equal to the need of arrest and there was no necessity of arresting this man, he said.
The ED also accused Kejriwal of utilising the “proceeds of crime” in the Goa Assembly polls, amounting to Rs 45 crore which came from four ‘hawala’ routes, by the AAP, of which “he is the convenor and the ultimate decision maker”.
It said kickbacks were allegedly generated by the “South Group” members, that includes arrested Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha and some others.
