Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been sent to jail for 14 days in judicial custody in the Delhi liquor policy case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Kejriwal was produced before the court by the CBI after the end of his three-day custodial interrogation saying his incarceration was necessary “in the interest of investigation and justice”.
Accepting the petition, special judge Sunena Sharma said Kejriwal was due to appear before the court on July 12. On March 21, he was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped policy. A trial court granted him bail, which was stayed by the Delhi High Court. In its remand application, the CBI alleged that Kejriwal was uncooperative and gave evasive answers.
“When confronted with the evidence, he failed to give a proper and truthful explanation regarding enhancement of profit margin for wholesalers from 5 per cent to 12 per cent under the new Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, without any study or justification,” the CBI said. “He also failed to explain as to why during the peak of the second wave of COVID, the Cabinet approval for the revised excise policy was obtained through hurried circulation within a day, when the South Group accused were camping in Delhi and holding meetings with their close aide Vijay Nair,” the CBI said.
Officials from the central agency told the court that Kejriwal evaded questions about his associate Vijay Nair’s meetings with stakeholders in the liquor business in Delhi and failed to give a proper explanation about his meeting with Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Arjun Pandey and Mootha Gautham, both accused in the case.
In the application making the charge, the CBI stated: “He, being a prominent politician and Chief Minister of Delhi, is a very influential person, as such, there are credible reasons to believe that he can influence witnesses and investigations. evidence already placed before him during custodial interrogation and also on potential witnesses, who are yet to be examined, tampering with evidence to be collected later may hamper the ongoing investigation.” Kejriwal and AAP have maintained that the Center has been misusing its agencies.
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