Team News Riveting
New Delhi, March 22
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for six days ending March 28.
The 55-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and formed IRS-officer, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED from his civil lines residence in New Delhi Thursday evening in connection with the liquor policy scam and money laundering. He was produced before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, hours after the Delhi Chief Minister withdrew a Supreme Court plea challenging his arrest in the alleged liquor policy scam case.
The court passed the order late Friday sending Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28. The central agency had sought custody of Kejriwal for 10 days, stating it needed time to complete its investigation and confront the AAP with other arrested accused in the case.
The probe agency in the charge-sheet called Arvind Kejriwal the “kingpin” and “key conspirator” in the alleged scam, and in a claim seen by many as contradictory, also called him the “middleman” between the ‘south group’ and other accused, including ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia (arrested last year). The total proceeds of the alleged scam, the agency said, exceeded Rs 600 crore. It included Rs 100 crore allegedly paid by the ‘south group’ including Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha, who was arrested last week.
Kejriwal – the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested, spent the night at the agency’s office – has denied all charges. The AAP has repeatedly stated the ED has yet to recover any of the alleged cash
In his first reaction since the arrest, Kejriwal told reporters “my life is dedicated to the nation”. Shortly afterwards his wife, Sunita Kejriwal posted an appeal on X (formerly Twitter). “Your Chief Minister always stood with you… whether inside or outside (jail), his life is dedicated to the country,’ she said.
The ED claimed in its remand papers that “Arvind Kejriwal was involved in the conspiracy of formulation of the excise policy 2021-22 to favour certain persons and also involved in the demanding of kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange of favours granted in the said policy.” The agency claimed that Rs 45 crore of the kickbacks were used to fund the AAP’s Goa and Punjab elections in 2022.
“We have examined the money trail. The money in Goa came through four routes. These allegations are also corroborated by one of AAP’s candidates… this person was paid in cash…”, the agency said.
On the role of Vijay Nair, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said, “He was staying in a house given to Kailash Gahlot (Delhi’s Transport Minister) and acted as the middleman between south group and AAP.”
